NEW  ENGLAND  ARTISTS 


LIVING 

New  England  Artists 

BIOGRArillCAI.  SKETCHES 

RKl'KOm  CTIONS  OF 

ORIGLNAL  DRAWINGS  AND  PAINTINGS 

BY    E  A  C  1 1    A R  r 1  S  T 
BY 

FRANK  T.  ROBINSON 


BOSTON  MASS. 

SAMUEL  E.  GASSING 
1888 


Copyright, 
By  Samuel  E. 


iS8S, 

Cassino. 


electrotyped  by 
c.  j.  peters  &  son,  boston. 

Presswork  dy  Berwick  &  Smith,  Boston. 


"  It  is  not  hard  to  see  what  places  the  master  so  far  above  the  rest 
of  them  who  went  before  or  after  him,  for  it  may  be  said  of  many  that 
they  could  draw  to -perfection,  of  others  that  they  were  superb  in  point 
of  coloring,  of  a  few  men  that  their  knowledge  of  chiaroscuro  was  great  ; 
of  how  many  can  it  be  said  as  well  that  they  combined  these  acquire- 
ments with  the  perceptions  of  a  genuine  artist,  and  the  enthusiasms 
of  a  noble  and  sincere  man,  and  the  sensitive  nature  of  a  poet  ?  Happy 
Murillo  !  "  —  William  Howe  Downes. 


7 


NOTE. 


An  endeavor  has  been  made  by  the  writer  of  this  work  to  stand 
between  the  artist  and  public  of  to-day,  and,  in  unison  with  the  art 
critics,  interpret  the  language  of  the  one  to  the  other. 

Parts  may  be  thought  exuberant  ;  but,  if  compared  with  daily  trib- 
utes to  politicians  and  pugilists,  they  will  be  found  compatible  with 
reason,  and  far  more  sincere. 

In  the  selection  of  subjects  the  writer  cannot  appear  as  partial,  for 
some  of  his  lifelong  friends  have  been  withheld  for  other  volumes. 

The  prophecies  and  authority,  if  faulty,  can  be  attributed  to  a  love 
for  true  effort,  and  the  individual  estimate  of  one  who  is  prompted  by 
his  instincts  and  years  of  intimacy  with  arts  and  artists. 

If  the  work  agitates  in  the  least,  it  will  ultimately  benefit  art,  in 
which  event  my  labor  will  not  be  lost. 

Frank  T.  Robinson. 

i888. 


CONTENTS. 


PAcn 

Thomas  Allen   13 

Illustrations. 

Cast   13 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   15 

Market-Place,  San  Antonio  .  .  .  opp.  17 
Holivar  20 

J.  AlTLETON  liROWN   21 

Illustrations. 

Landscape   21 

Portrait   23 

Summer   opp.  25 

Study   28 

I.  H.  Caliga   29 

Illustrations. 

Types   29 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   31 

Little  "  Hob  "  opj).  31 

Old  Times   33 

Dependant   36 

W.  U.  Closson  37 

Illustrations. 

The  River  Bank  37 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  39 

Mezzotint  opp.  41 

Reflection  43 

J.  FoxcROFT  Cole  45 

Illustrations. 

Landscape  and  Cattle  45 

Portrait  47 

Under  the  Shadows  opp.  49 

Sheep  study   51 

L.  D.  Eldred  53 

Illustrations. 

Venice,  Noon   53 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  55 

Gibraltar.    Etching  opp.  56 

Algiers  •  57 


PAC.H 

J.  J.  Enneking   59 

Illustrations. 

Twilight   59 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  61 

Hy  the  Pond  opp.  63 

Venerable  Age  65 

Edmund  IL  Garrett  67 

Illustrations. 

Ebb  67 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  69 

Dutchland.    Etching  opp.  71 

Good-Nature  73 

Ignaz  Marcel  Gaugengigl  ....  75 
Illustrations. 

Une  Question  Difficile  75 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  77 

Un  Patriote  Elegant  opP-  79 

Bit  of  Wrought  Iron  82 

Abbott  Graves  83 

Illustrations. 

Buds  and  Flowers  83 

Portrait,  by  the  artist  85 

Pen-and-ink  study  opp.  87 

True  color  88 

William  F.  Halsall  ......  89 

Illustrations. 

Leaving  Port  89 

Portrait  91 

Marine  opp.  93 

Stiff  Breeze  94 

Louis  K.  Harlow   95 

Illustrations. 

Landscape   95 

Portrait   97 

Etching  opp-  99 


12 


CONTENTS. 


F.  Childe  Hassam   loi 

Illustrations. 

Butts   loi 

Street  Scene   loi 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   103 

The  Busy  Day.    Pen  and  ink   .    opp.  105 

The  Housetop  of  Paris   106 

Phcebe  Pickering  Jenks     ....  107 
Ilhistratiojis. 

Ouj-  Pets   107 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   109 

From  the  original  opp.  11  ( 

Blossom   112 

Henry  Hudson  Kitson   113 

Illtistratio)is. 

From  a  life  bust   113 

Portrait   11^ 

"  Music  of  the  Sea  "     ....    opp.  117 

"Amour"   119 

Walter  F.  Lansil   121 

Illiistratiotis. 

Venice   121 

Portrait   123 

Venice.    Etching  opp-  125 

Scheldt   126 

Scott  Leighton   127 

Ilhtstrations. 

Neck-and-Neck   127 

Portrait   129 

Labor  Day  opp.  129 

Prize  Fowl   131 

Frank  T.  Merrill   133 

Illitstratiotts. 

Types   133 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   135 

A  Fair  Advocate  opp.  135 

Derbyshire  Farmer   138 

H.  WiNTHROP  Pierce   139 

Ilbistrations. 

The  Wye   139 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   141 

The  Harvest  Cross  opp.  143 

In  the  Chapel   144 

Henry  Sandham   145 

// 1 ustrations. 

By  the  Wayside   145 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   147 

Canoing  opp.  149 

Toilers  of  the  Shore   151 


Frank  Hill  Smith   153 

Ilhisirations,. 

Symbols   153 

Portrait,  after  medallion  by  Warner  .  155 

Over  the  Housetops     ....    opp.  157 

Advent  of  Spring   1^9 

D.  J.  Strain   161 

Illustrations. 

In  the  Shadow   161 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   162 

At  the  Well  opp.  163 

Ideal  Type   165 

W.  L.  Taylor   167 

Illustrations. 

An  old  Castle  by  the  Sea     ....  167 

Portrait,  by  the  artist   169 

The  Forge  opp.  171 

Slip   172 

Ross  Turner   173 

Illustrations. 

Full  Sail   173 

Initial   173 

Portrait   175 

Japanese  Bits   176 

New  England  Shore    ....    opp.  177 

High  light   178 

Frederick  Porter  Vinton  ....  179 
Illustrations. 

In  Spain   179 

Portrait   181 

Gen.  Charles  Devens.    Etching,   opp.  183 

Spanish  Maid   186 

Marcus  Waterman   187 

Illustrations. 

Study   187 

Portrait,  by  W.  L.  Metcalf    ....  189 

Study   191 

Banana  Girl  opp.  191 

Maroof  in  the  Desert   193 

J.  Harvey  Young   195 

Illustrations. 

Ideal  head   195 

Portrait  .  '   197 

Portrait  from  original  ....    opp.  199 

Ideal  head   200 


THOMAS   ALLEN,  A.  N.  A.,  S.  A.  A. 


The  love  of  life,  and  an  earnest  application  of  its  energies 
and  forces,  are  the  first  noticeable  traits  in  the  character  of 
Thomas  Allen.  His  great-grandfather,  whose  name  he  bears, 
was  born  in  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  was  the  first  ordained 
minister  in  Pittsfield,  this  state,  commencing  his  ministry  in 
1764,  and  retaining  his  position  until  his  death,  in  181 1.  He 
was  a  zealous  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  served  in  several  cam- 
paigns as  chaplain,  took  active  part  in  the  battle  of  Bennington, 
V^t.,  and  on  that  account  was  known  as  "The  Fighting  Parson." 
He  was  an  ardent  and  able  politician  of  the  Jeffersonian 
school,  and  his  chief  characteristics  were  liberality,  wisdom  of 
purpose,  determined  will,  and  quiet  but  indomitable  energy. 
He  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Lee,  of  Salisbury, 
Conn.,  through  whom  his  descendants  claim  among  their  ances- 
tors the  illustrious  William  Bradford,  the  Pilgrim  governor  of 
the  Plymouth  Colony.  He  reared  a  large  family,  the  male 
portion  of  which  became  distinguished  in  their  various  profes- 
sions. Jonathan,  grandfather  of  the  artist,  was  one  of  nine 
sons,  and  became,  after  his  legislative  career,  one  of  the  most 
noted  farmers  of  the  Berkshire  Hills,  and  it  may  be  that  partly 
from  him  the  artist  inherited  his  love  for  animals  and  out-of- 

13 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


door  life.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  presidents  of  the 
Berkshire  Agricultural  Society,  and  was  among  the  first  to 
import  merino  sheep,  visiting  for  that  purpose  the  port  of 
Lisbon,  where  he  found  and  purchased  from  the  famous  flocks 
of  the  Count  of  Montaro,  then  first  confiscated  by  the  Spanish 
Junta,  and  sent  to  Portugal  for  a  market. 

Allen's  father,  Thomas,  whose  life  was  begun  in  the  up- 
land farms  of  our  state,  was  born  August  29,  18 13,  in  Pitts- 
field.  After  preparation  at  the  Berkshire  gymnasium,  he 
entered  Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  graduated  in  1832, 
and  the  same  year  commenced  the  study  of  law  at  Albany,  and 
would  have  continued  but  for  the  approach  of  cholera,  and 
financial  disaster  in  his  family.  It  was  at  this  time  that  his 
father  said  to  him,  "  I  have  given  you  an  education  ;  here  are 
twenty-five  dollars.  It  is  all  that  I  can  do  ;  go  and  take  care  of 
yourself."  This,  coupled  with  the  zeal  and  energy  of  his  nature, 
was  his  entire  stock  in  trade  when  he  landed,  a  stranger,  in  New 
York  city.  Starting  as  a  contributor  to  the  press  and  as  a 
student  at  law,  he  rose  rapidly  to  prominence.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  he  went  to  Washington,  D.  C,  and  started  the 
Madisonian,  a  newspaper  established  to  oppose  the  then  pre- 
vailing ideas  on  the  currency.  Its  influence  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  overshadowing  Van  Buren's  administration.  On  the 
election  of  Harrison  and  Tyler,  the  paper  became  the  govern- 
ment organ.  Upon  the  death  of  Harrison,  tiring  of  the  confu- 
sion which  soon  arose  in  politics,  he  relinquished  the  journalistic 
enterprise  in  which  he  had  had  such  marked  success,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1842  removed  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  settled,  and 
there  inaugurated  the  great  internal  improvements  of  that  state, 
and  became  the  first  president  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  and  upon  that  road,  in  1854,  he  placed  the  first  loco- 
motive that  ever  crossed  the  Mississippi  River.    Later  he  was 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


15 


instrumental  in  building  railways  in  the  South-west,  and  also  in 
developing  the  great  mineral  wealth  of  Missouri.  In  July, 
1842,  Mr.  Allen  married  the  only  daughter  of  Wm.  Russell, 
Esq.,  of  St.  Louis,  who  was  a  civil  engineer,  and  who,  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  came  to  St.  Louis  from  Virginia. 
Among  the  children  of  this  marriage,  our  subject,  Thomas,  was 
born  at  St.  Louis,  October  19,  1849.  ^  ^'^g  industry  and  direct- 
ness of  purpose  of  the  father  have  been  engrafted  into  the  son's 


composition,  and  with  these  traits  he  has  inherited  the  artistic 
temperament  of  his  mother,  who  possesses  a  fine  aesthetic 
instinct  and  a  love  for  all  that  is  beautiful.  In  1869,  young 
Allen,  after  a  protracted  illness,  which  prevented  his  graduation 
from  the  Washington  University  of  St.  Louis,  accompanied  Pro- 
fessor Pattison  of  the  university,  who  was  an  excellent  draughts- 
man, to  Colorado.  Allen  had  no  idea  of  becoming  a  painter 
when  he  set  out  to  travel  on  foot  through  this  wild  country ; 
his  desire  was  simply  to  sketch  from  nature  for  memoranda  of 


i6 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


his  trip.  His  translations  of  the  western  scenery,  being  without 
hght  and  shade,  were  hteral  and  exact;  yet  they  gave  one  a 
good  impression  of  the  country,  and,  no  doubt,  impressed  him  as 
being  poor  indeed,  insomuch  that  upon  his  return  he  sought  to 
perfect  himself  in  drawing.  It  was  through  the  encouragement 
of  his  mother  that  he  continued  his  art  studies  and  went  to 
Diisseldorf  in  1 871  to  study  the  arts  for  which  he  had  shown, 
in  a  year's  serious  devotion,  such  an  aptitude  and  love.  Enter- 
ing the  Royal  Academy  in  the  spring  of  1872,  with  a  full  deter- 
mination to  master  every  branch  of  the  instructions,  he  went 
through  the  various  classes,  and  graduated  in  1878,  after  which 
he  visited  Paris,  where  he  remained  several  years. 

The  result  of  his  academical  training  was  shown  when,  in 
1876,  he  first  exhibited  his  work  at  the  National  Academy  of 
Design,  in  New  York.  The  picture  then  exhibited  was  entitled 
"  The  Bridge  at  Lissingen,"  and  won  the  approval  of  the  artists 
and  critics  from  the  start.  Since  that  date  he  has  been  repre- 
sented in  the  Salon  of  1882  and  1887  !  first,  by  his  large  canvas 
entitled  "  Market-Place,  San  Antonio,"  showing  a  sunset  effect, 
full  of  rich  color,  and  the  life  of  that  busy  hour  ;  second,  by  his 
"  On  Guard,"  a  splendid  painting,  depicting  a  majestic  bull 
standing  in  the  left  foreground,  and  cattle,  some  lying  about  in 
the  field  daisies  and  others  nibbling  the  grass ;  —  a  graceful 
composition,  full  of  atmosphere,  and  well  painted. 

Allen  returned  to  this  country  in  the  summer  of  1882,  and 
in  1884  was  made  an  associate  of  the  National  Academy  of 
New  York,  having  already  (1880)  been  made  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  American  Artists.  His  first  important  exhibition  in 
Boston  was  given  in  Williams  &  Everett's  gallery,  in  the  win- 
ter of  1883,  and  I  remember  distinctly  the  inquiries  among  the 
artists  at  that  time,  of  "who  is  this  Allen,  and  where  did  he 
come  from  ?  "  so  quiet  and  unexpected  was  his  advent  into  the 


77/0  J /AS  A/J.RN.  17 

state,  where  his  ancestors  h;ul  inatle  their  names  well  known  and 
their  works  respected.  It  was  not  Ion*;-  alter  this  that  his 
presence  became  a  welcome  addition  to  the  art  circles  of  the 
city  ;  and  he  soon  became  a  member  of  the  Paint  and  Cla\'  Club, 
the  Art  Club,  and  a  patron  of"  the  Art  Museum. 

In  the  autumn  of  1882,  he  established  his  studio  in  IV-lham 
Studios  on  Hoylston  Street,  where  he  remainetl  until  18S4, 
when  he  built  his  present  studio,  at  i  2  Commonwealth  Avenue. 

Being  a  man  of  means  and  artistic  discrimination,  his  sur- 
roundings have  always  been  of  the  most  elegant  ami  instructive 
nature  ;  and  his  special  knowledge  of  ceramics,  the  history  of 
painting  and  decoration,  and,  indeed,  of  the  fine  arts  in 
general,  has  made  his  name  well  known  as  an  intelligent  and 
able  connoisseur  in  the  arts  and  handiwork  of  all  times.  The 
arts  of  the  so-called  pagans  are  as  dear  to  him  as  those  of  the 
alleged  Christian  peoples ;  examples  from  China,  Corea,  and 
Japan  furnish  him  with  no  end  of  study ;  their  rare  antique 
and,  in  a  few  instances,  modern  ceramics  are  precious  to  the 
eye  of  the  antiquarian,  and  these  gratify  his  aesthetic  longings, 
increase  the  beauty  and  value  of  his  rich  collections,  and  add  to 
his  geniality  and  intelligence  as  an  entertainer  of  good  company. 

In  this  general  and  essential  introduction  of  the  antecedents 
and  biography  of  Mr.  Allen,  we  are  ready  to  look  into  his  art 
and  enjoy  his  interpretations  of  nature. 

Mr.  Allen  is  a  close  student  of  nature,  and  I  have  often  heard 
him  eulogize  his  master  in  landscape  painting.  Professor  Diicker, 
of  the  Diisseldorf  academy,  and  credit  him  for  having  imbued 
his  mind  with  the  importance  of  a  serious  and  close  intimacy 
with  nature.  The  professor  was  a  devoted  student  himself,  and 
whenever  he  detected  errors  in  a  student's  work  he  would  gently 
suggest  that  he  go  and  study  the  object  or  scene  again,  for  he 
would  say:  "  I  teach  you  only  composition  and  the  use  of  pig- 


i8 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


ments.  Nature  is  your  master  for  color  and  inspiration."  I  feel 
that  the  precepts  of  this  master  are  forever  in  the  mind  of  Mr. 
Allen.  His  works  show  it ;  they  also  show  how  closely  he 
observes  every  pebble,  weed,  bush,  or  tree,  the  moving  clouds; 
—  the  anatomy  of  the  earth,  all  these  units  he  is  familiar  with, 
and  he  studies  all  in  their  relations  one  with  another,  and  is 
thus  prepared  to  paint  the  whole  with  natural  grandeur  and 
breadth.  His  discernment  of  the  under  life  of  the  fields,  where 
the  insects  hum  their  simple  strains  and  fill  the  upper  air  with 
their  tinkling  melody,  is  always  evident.  He  sees  and  carefully 
notes  the  docility  and  tender  color  of  animals,  their  movements, 
companionable  groupings,  and  quiet  contentedness  in  pasture 
life ;  calves  are  a  source  of  delight  for  his  palette,  they  are  so 
rich  and  brilliant  in  their  freshness  and  varied  tints  and  hues. 
He  notes  the  wind  as  it  sweeps  over  the  grass  tops  and  daisies, 
and  sees,  in  his  imagination,  as  they  bend  to  the  breeze, 
the  elf-like  groups  as  they  scamper  merrily  away  in  their  race 
with  the  cloud  shadows,  until  they  are  lost  to  sight  away  off  in 
the  ether  of  the  hills  on  the  horizon.  He  sees  sunlight  and 
cloud  light ;  feels  the  sweet  and  agreeable  shade  of  the  woods, 
where  the  cattle  lie  so  peacefully.  For  him  there  is  art  interest 
everywhere.  He  finds  it  among  the  Texans,'as  in  "The  Cock 
Fight,"  where  a  group  of  quaintly  and  richly  clad  natives  are 
gathered  about  the  contestants  ;  the  delicate  light  and  shade  and 
strong  colors  appeal  to  his  eyes.  There  is  interest  for  him  at 
the  sea-shore,  where  the  busy  water  ebbs  and  flows,  and  traces 
its  wonderful  lace-work  in  glistening  bubbles  and  shining  sands. 
All  these  are  the  works  and  manners  of  creation  ;  and  he  paints 
as  he  sees,  and  his  art  is  of  the  eyes  and  heart.  I  do  not  feel 
that  he  sees  too  much  —  no  man  can  ;  he  was  taught  in  a  school 
that  knows  no  tricks  in  method  or  art.  He  is  first  analytic  ; 
investigates  for  facts,  and,  these  once  mastered,  he  becomes 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


19 


synthetic,  and  couples  breadth  with  detail.  Hamerton  says,  it 
is  "  a  rare  combination  in  one  artist."  Actual  relations  in  form 
and  color,  units  made  deliolitful  b)-  influence  and  interesting 
compositions,  comprise  some  ot  the  strong  features  in  Allen's 
works. 

I  call  to  mind  the  purity  of  his  color  in  his  several  efforts 
at  water-color  painting;  there  are  no  stains  on  his  paper,  no 
fussy  stumbling  and  feeling  about  for  results  ;  he  works  directly 
and  sureK'  for  incitlent,  antl  not  with  a  hope  for  accidental 
effects.  His  studies  can  be  counted  by  the  hundred,  and  his 
favorite  sketching  grounds  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old 
homestead  at  Pittsfield,  among  the  trees  and  hills  at  Petersham, 
in  the  streets  of  that  warm  and  decorative  old  city,  San  Antonio, 
and  in  the  Channel  Islands.  He  has  visited  Holland,  and 
devoted  much  time  to  the  study  of  the  Dutch  masters  ;  for  in 
their  work  he  feels  that  they  too  were  fond  of  every  phase  of 
life,  and  that  they  were  serious  men. 

If  I  were  asked  by  a  serious  person  to  briefly  state  what 
kind  of  an  artist  and  painter  Allen  was,  I  would  reply  much 
in  this  vein  :  "  He  is  well  equipped  with  an  immense  amount 
of  study  and  preparation  in  art,  is  an  intense  and  earnest  stu- 
dent, a  spirited  draughtsman,  interesting  in  his  facilities  and 
power  in  keeping  things  together  on  his  canvas  ;  paints  with 
a  stimulating  freshness,  as  if  his  young  days  had  been  happy 
ones  ;  is  remarkably  even  and  refined  in  sentiment  and  color ; 
sees  the  comic  side  of  animal  and  human  life,  as  well  as  the 
serious,  and  is  thoroughly  in  love  with  his  profession."  As  a 
man,  he  is  domestically  inclined ;  studious,  unostentatious,  a 
delightful  conversationalist,  straightforward  in  his  knowledge 
and  convictions,  and  is  well  balanced  all  round.  His  surround- 
ings are  princely ;  he  has  made  them  so,  and  knows  well  how 
to  enjoy  the  best  the  world  can  provide. 


20 


THOMAS  ALLEN. 


His  pictures  sell  very  readily  on  their  merit,  and  among  the 
best  known  are  the  following  :  — 

"  Maplehurst  at  Noon,"  owned  by  Mr.  T.  B.  Clarke,  New 
York,  painted  in  1879;  "Toilers  of  the  Plains,"  owned  by  the 
Berkshire  Athenaeum,  also  painted  in  1879;  "  Market- Place, 
San  Antonio,"  owned  by  a  resident  of  Worcester,  Mass.  ; 
"  Evening  on  Market-Place,  San  Antonio,"  owned  by  Mr.  New- 
ton, Holyoke,  Mass.;  "St.  Ann's  Port,  Island  of  Jersey,"  "A 
Berkshire  Idyl,"  owned  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Graves,  Boston,  Mass.  ; 
"  Maplehurst  Herd "  and  "Upland  Pasture,"  owned  by  Mr.  J. 
Montgomery  Sears,  Boston  ;  "  Guernsey  Water  Lane,"  owned 
by  Mr.  Arthur  Little,  Boston  ;  "  A  Woodland  Glade,"  owned 
by  Professor  Horsford,  Cambridge,  Mass.  ;  "  Les  Marais,"  owned 
by  Mr.  E.  B.  Haskell,  Auburndale  ;  "  Calm  Evening,  Gulf  of 
Mexico,"  owned  by  Professor  Whitney,  Cambridge  ;  "  Moonlight 
Landscape,"  exhibited  in  American  Art  Association,  1887, 
wherein  one  feels,  as  the  title  indicates,  that 


'  Over  all  the  hill-tops 
Is  rest." 


J.  APPLKTOX  RROWN. 


Ik  ever  there  were  an  artist  who  could  paint  as  Goldsmith 
wrote.  Brown  is  that  artist,  and  who  that  knows  cannot  feel 
these  lines  in  his  pictures  !  — 

"Where  smiling  spring  its  earliest  visit  paid, 
And  parting  summer's  ling'ring  blooms  delayed; 
Dear,  lovely  bowers  of  innocence  and  ease, 
Seats  of  my  youth,  where  every  sport  could  please ; 
How  often  have  I  loitered  o'er  thy  green, 
Where  humble  happiness  endeared  each  scene ; 
How  often  have  I  paused  on  every  charm, 
The  sheltered  cot,  the  cultivated  farm. 
The  never  failing  brook,  the  busy  mill, 
The  decent  church  that  tops  the  neighboring  hill." 

As  Goldsmith  was  a  lover  of  nature  and  its  reminiscent 
charms,  so  Brown  with  the  same  ardor  depicts  his  poetic 
imaginations  in  most  fascinating  colors.  Brown's  whole  life  has 
been  a  very  happy  one.  From  the  day  of  his  birth,  at  West 
Newbur)%  in  1844,  to  the  present,  he  has  lived  in  a  delightful 
realm  of  artistic  pleasures.  His  father  saw  the  child's  inclination 
and  fostered  it,  so  also  did  his  mother-  and,  when  but  a  mere 

21 


22 


J.  APPLETON  BROWN. 


boy,  they  encouraged  him  to  study  the  beauties  of  nature  that 
surrounded  their  home,  and  they  were  plentiful  enough.  He 
could  gaze  from  his  windows  down  on  to  the  slope  that  reached 
the  banks  of  the  Merrimac,  and  could  feel  the  charms  of  the 
lights  that  spread  over  the  snowy  hills  or  green  fields  of  the 
upland  country ;  these  views  were  constantly  before  his  eyes 
and  impressed  his  mind  with  the  wonders  of  creation.  His 
first  great  joy  was  when  his  father  purchased  a  box  of  paints 
for  him,  and  he  began  to  interpret  for  himself  the  landscapes 
and  skies  of  his  native  heath.  His  parents  were  doubtless 
as  pleased  as  himself  at  the  result  of  his  first  applications  of 
color ;  and  they  encouraged  the  boy  from  that  time,  and  were 
amply  rewarded  for  their  endeavors,  in  later  years.  Brown 
never  tires  of  expressing  his  reverence  for  the  efforts  of  his 
father  and  mother,  and  his  gratitude  is  unbounded.  He  gradu- 
ated from  the  High  School  at  Newburyport,  and  in  his  summer 
vacations  painted  out-of-doors,  and  though  he  studied  a  year 
with  A.  T.  Bricher  he  was  too  conscious  of  his  wrong  methods 
to  be  at  all  seriously  affected  by  them. 

Brown  came  to  Boston  in  1865,  and,  in  conjunction  with 
B.  C.  Porter,  opened  his  first  studio,  in  Studio  Building. 
These  two  beginners  worked  in  the  same  studio  together  for 
a  year,  or  until  the  latter  part  of  1866,  when  Brown  went  to 
Paris  and  began  to  draw  in  the  Louvre,  and  afterwards,  in 
the  winter  of  1867,  went  into  the  studio  of  Lambinet.  He 
returned  to  Studio  Building  in  1868,  and  setded  down  to 
acquire  proficiency,  and  work  out  the  problems  that  had 
impressed  his  mind  while  abroad.  His  early  work  shows  the 
influence  of  Lambinet's  color  and  composition;  but  after  three 
or  four  years  of  study  in  our  own  country,  among  the  beautiful 
scenes  in  the  vicinity  of  the  upper  Merrimac,  he  became  dis- 
tinctively original,  and  left  all  traces  of  the  French  or  any 


/  APPI.HTOX  PROUW. 


23 


other  niL'thod  out  ol  his  works.  In  1S74.  Brown  took  as  a 
companion  tor  Hfe  Miss  Ajj^ncs  Hartlctt.  This  was  an  important 
step,  for.  as  Hamcrton  sa\s  in  substanci-.  if  an  artist  shoiikl 
marr)-.  his  wife  must  be  one  who  thorouj^hly  inidcrstands  the 
arts,  or  she  must  be  a  bhnci  worshipper.  I  he  world  knows  that 
his  choice  was  one  of  the  former  nature,  her  pictures  beinj^ 
hijrhly  prized  for  their  |)oetic  sweetness  and  purity  of  color.  In 
the  fall  of  1874,  Brown  and  his  artist  wife  went  to  Paris,  and 


thence,  in  the  spring,  studied  and  painted  at  Ville  d'Avray, 
where  Corot  lived,  and  under  whose  trees  he  had  his  studio  for 
years.  He  also  painted  at  Calvados,  and  a  picture  finished  here, 
entitled,  "  Le  Bord  de  la  Mer,  a  Dives,"  was  liung  and  sold  from 
the  line  of  the;  Salon  of  1875.  He  also  had  another  work  in 
the  same  Salon,  "  L'Ete,"  which  was  sold.  This  event  was  the 
third  joy  of  his  life,  and,  when  one  considers  that  the  jury  of 
1875  was  comjxjsed  of  such  artists  as  Vollon,  Diaz,  Daubigny, 


24 


/.  APPLE  TON  BROWN. 


and  others  of  the  Barbizon  school,  he  had  a  right  to  feel  proud 
of  his  chosen  profession  and  of  his  achievements. 

Brown  returned  to  Boston  in  June,  1875,  and  soon  became 
intimate  with  Hunt  and  Cole,  and  he  readily  accords  to  them  a 
more  than  kindly  word  for  the  interest  they  took  in  his  progress. 
With  Hunt,  Brown  made  many  trips  into  the  country  and  to  the 
Isles  of  Shoals,  and  they  shared  together  at  various  seasons  the 
lessons  which  nature  had  stored  up  for  them.  Brown,  in  con- 
junction with  his  wife,  has  since  1879  made  annual  exhibitions 
of  their  work  in  Doll  &  Richards'  gallery ;  and  it  may  be  safely 
said  that  these  displays  have  become  one  of  the  chief  events  of 
the  art  season  of  Boston,  and  the  art  patrons  of  our  city,  as  well 
as  the  artists,  have  always  indorsed  these  exhibits  in  a  most  sub- 
stantial and  intelligent  manner.  In  1886,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Frank  Millet,  Brown  set  up  his  easel  for  a  while  in  the  poetic 
colony  of  Broadway,  in  Worcestershire,  Eng.  Here  he  worked 
with  such  congenial  spirits  about  him  as  Abbey,  Parsons,  Goss, 
and  the  like ;  but  he  found  material  better  suited  to  his  brush 
in  Bidford,  Warwickshire. .  After  a  year  of  serious  work  he 
returned  to  his  studio  on  Beacon  Street. 

Much  might  be  said  by  way  of  incident  regarding  Brown's 
career,  of  his  trips  into  the  country  near  his  old  home,  of  his 
studies  made  of  the  old  masters,  of  his  interesting  personal 
characteristics,  of  the  sensation  caused  by  his  first  exhibit  of 
pastels,  which  embraced  many  exquisitely  rendered  scenes, 
interior  and  out-of-doors,  which  he  made  while  in  Bidford ;  of 
his  illustrations  for  Lucy  Larcom's  book,  "  Landscape  in  Ameri- 
can Poetry,"  published  by  the  Appletons  in  1879;  of  his  social 
relations  with  our  best  families,  etc.  ;  —  but  a  book  alone  could 
completely  exhaust  the  record  of  his  life,  and  the  future  biogra- 
pher will  find  sufficient  and  excellent  material  to  compile  such  a 
work  from.    There  is  much  to  say  of  Brown's  art,  of  how  it 


J.  AP  PL  ETON  BROWN.  25 

appeals  to  every  eye  and  heart,  aiul  the  rctst  of  our  study  will 
be  in  this  direction. 

His  art  relates  to  nature  in  the  sense  onl)'  that  he  compre- 
hends it.  not  that  he  paints  it  as  it  is.  lie  distini^uishcs  the 
wide  maru^in  between  art  and  eyesiij^ht,  between  tin?  real  and 
artificial ;  he  takes  an  observation  of  sunli<(ht  in  nature  to  find 
his  bearinj^s,  and  then  sets  his  thouHits  and  colors  at  work  at 
any  time,  to  reproduce  his  memoranda  and  add  his  own  artistic 
conceptions.  Vou  will  alwa\'s  find  in  his  pictures  well  shapetl 
clouds,  rarely  clear  skies,  and.  at  wide  intcr\als  of  late  )-ears,  a 
storm  or  brooding  w^eather.  This  matter  of  clouds  is  all  ri<jht 
from  an  artistic  standpoint,  or  any  point ;  but  he  uses  clouds, 
not  onh'  for  their  form,  but  in  particular  for  their  liorht,  their 
reflections  or  secondar)-  effects.  This  is  one  reason  wh)',  I 
imagine,  one  can  feel  the  unity  of  his  landscapes  with  the  air, 
the  life  and  light  in  and  over  them. 

I  have  seen  a  picture  of  his  where  a  figure  lay  reclining  on  a 
hillside,  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  tree.  The  daylight  was 
slowly  fading  from  the  sky,  and  the  tints  of  the  sunglow  were 
just  disappearing  over  the  range  of  hills.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
the  sun  had  been  shining  there  all  day,  that  the  birds  and 
insects  had  enjoyed  the  sweet  hours  as  they  came  and  went,  and 
that  this  was  a  happy  ending  of  a  glorious  day  in  summer. 
There  was  yet  enough  daylight  to  easily  distinguish  the  tree 
branches  and  note  their  varied  character,  and  the  figure,  though 
a  small  part  of  the  painting,  was  significant  and  seemed  absorbed 
in  the  poetry  of  the  closing  day.  The  picture  was  inspired  by 
the  following  lines  by  Keats,  which  occur  in  his  "  Ode  to  the 
Nigrhtincrale  "  :  — 

"  Forlorn  !  the  very  word  is  like  a  bell 

To  toll  me  back  from  thee  to  my  sole  self ! 

Adieu  !  the  fancy  cannot  cheat  so  well 

As  she  is  famed  to  do,  deceiving  elf. 


26 


/.  APPLETON  BROWN. 


Adieu !  adieu  !  thy  plaintive  anthem  fades 

Past  the  near  meadows,  over  the  still  stream, 

Up  the  hillside  ;  and  now  'tis  buried  deep 

In  the  next  vallej'  glades  : 

Was  it  a  vision,  or  a  waking  dream  ? 

Fled  is  that  music  :  —  do  I  wake  or  sleep?  " 

His  compositions,  which  means  here  the  lines  and  forms,  are 
always  gentle  and  mound-like,  not  obtuse.  You  will  never  find 
sharp,  scrag-gy  edges  or  lofty,  material  heights  in  his  pictures ; 
if  he  would  emphasize  an  object,  he  makes  his  drawing  and 
color  balance,  so  that  the  emphasis  is  not  objectionable  or  appar- 
ent. Brown  is  an  effective  painter,  that  is,  he  paints  for  effect, 
not  of  the  exaggerating,  strong,  contrasting  sort,  but  in  the 
modified  form  ;  by  the  subtle  gradation  of  light,  never  reversing 
from  dark  to  light,  but  keeping  everything  light,  hence  his  lumi- 
nosity of  shadows.  His  landscapes,  houses,  trees,  cattle,  and 
the  clouds  will  melt,  never  break ;  they  are  full  of  tender  color 
and  might  be- modelled  out  of  different  densities  of  air  rather 
than  the  moje  solid  materials.  This  lightness  of  color  and 
agreeable  finish  gives  Brown  a  distinctive  style  from  any  other 
artist  in  Boston.  You  note  his  technique  some,  but  he  keeps 
his  feelings  and  poetic  thoughts  to  the  front ;  you  cannot  escape 
them  in  his  pastels  even,  for  in  these  he  is  more  technical  than 
in  his  oils.  Brown's  strong  hold  in  art  is  his  ability  to  arrange 
his  colors  and  forms  with  beauty  of  results  rather  than  mere 
truth  or  measured  facts.  His  pictures  never  tumble  to  pieces ; 
they  are  evenly  painted  and  well  knit  together,  if  the  expression 
may  be  allowed.  Does  not  this  unity  of  color  and  form,  always 
evident  in  his  work,  prove  that  Brown  is  a  natural  artist  and 
painter  ?  He  is  consistent  with  himself  and  gives  nature  a  good 
showing,  a  recommendation  which  you  wish  you  could  enjoy ; 
for  his  pictures  are  drawn  from  pleasant  places,  and  his  sun 


J.  APPLETON  BROWX 


27 


rarely  ceases  to  shine.  This  view  of  nature  as  it  shoiiKl  he  is 
a  charming  one.  and  never  will  lead  us  into  temptation,  except 
possibly  to  dream  and  sigh  for  the  Hlysian  fields,  where  we  ma)- 
never  ai^ain  know  auLjht  of  commerce. 

Brown  rc-freshes  the  memor\-  more  than  the  eje,  alheil  his 
color  is  good  enough  and  is  an  important  factor  in  his  e.\pres- 
sion  ;  but  he  makes  you  think  of  the  happ)'  places  that  you 
have  seen,  and  the  happy  events  that  have  occurred  in  your 
summer  days,  he  enlightens  you  concerning  his  experience 
and  sets  you  into  a  hopeful  mood.  This  is  a  glorious  province 
of  art,  and  it  is  welcome  in  this  part  of  the  world.  I  think 
Brown  paints  as  he  feels,  and  that  he  feels  poetically  and 
sincerely.  A  man  may  paint  as  he  thinks,  and  paint  like 
Gerome  or  X'ibert.  The  soul  is  feeling,  and  the  thought  all 
intellect ;  the  one  is  poetical,  the  other  material ;  yet,  after  all, 
who  am  I  that  I  shall  say  of  Gerome  or  Vibert,  when  they 
draw  the  figure.  God's  image,  so  wonderfully,  that  they  have 
no  poetrj'  in  them  ?    Art  is  long  indeed. 

Most  ever)-  true  artist-painter  is  charmed  with  all  phases 
of  nature,  and  we  often  discover  in  a  memorial  exhibition  of  an 
artist's  works  many  paintings  which  widely  differ  in  subject 
from  what  he  is  well  known  to  have  painted  all  his  life. 
Usually,  w^henever  he  steps  aside  from  his  specialty,  his  effort 
seems  to  be  lacking  in  force  and  beauty  of  composition.  He 
loses  always  when  he  is  dependent  upon  mere  impressions, 
and,  like  an  old  tradesman  who  is  inclined  by  choice  and 
training  to  a  trade,  he  is  rarely  a  success  in  any  other.  The 
artist,  no  less  than  the  man  of  commerce,  should  stick  to  his 
specialty.  Any  departure  from  it,  though  it  may  be  interesting, 
adds  nothing  to  his  fame. 

Does  not  Brown  show  more  thouo-jit  than  soul  in  the 
tumult  and   ^■i()lence  of  his  w-aves  painted   at   the  Isl(;s  of 


28 


/.  APPLETON  BROWN. 


Shoals,  when  he  was  with  Hunt  ?  There  is  vigor  of  move- 
ment in  the  water,  and  fine  drawing  in  the  clouds,  and  local 
colors  also  ;  but  it  is  all  descriptive.  Not  so  his  restful,  quiet, 
glowing  summer  days,  the  fresh,  new  air  of  his  blossoming 
springs,  or  the  serenity  and  warmth  of  his  gray  autumns  ;  the 
one  was  prosaic,  the  others  are  rhythmic,  songs  with  a  musical 
sense  of  harmony  vibrating  sweetly  as  we  remember  them.  Let 
him  live  to  paint  the  landscape  in  sunlight,  where 


"  His  heaven  commences  ere  the  world  be  past." 


1.  II.  CALIGA. 


"A  SAILOR  will  be  a  sailor;"  so  will  an  artist  be  an  artist,  and 
Caliga  is  an  illustration  of  this  aphorism.  After  leaving  school 
in  Auburn,  Ind.,  where  he  was  born  in  1857,  he  was  apprenticcxl 
to  a  machinist.  The  file  and  lathe  amused  him  for  a  while,  but 
this  trade  was  presently  too  automatic  for  him,  so  he  came 
to  Boston,  and  found  employment  in  a  gentlemen's  furnishing 
goods  store.  Here  he  began  to  feel  the  bent  of  his  desires, 
and  discovered  in  a  small  way  the  charm  of  art,  for  he  was 
impressed  with  the  wonders  of  the  lithographic  labels  in  color, 
and  made  many  copies  of  them.  From  these  endeavors  he 
branched  off  into  still-life,  and  worked  very  hard  to  perfect  his 
drawing,  in  which  occupation  he  found  much  pleasure. 

Going  one  day  into  Marliave's  restaurant,  a  famous  resort 
at  noonday  for  such  artistic  spirits  as  Hunt,  Robinson,  Water- 
man, Millet,  Bardett  the  sculptor.  Judge  Chamberlain,  O'Reilly 
the  poet,  and  other  like  natures,  he  became  absorbed  in  the 
arguments  of  these  lights  of  art  and  literature,  and  every  day 
made  it  his  custom  to  take  his  lunch  there.  The  conversations 
on  art  topics  pleased  him  the  most,  and  he  absorbed  what  might 

29 


30 


/.  H.  CALIGA. 


have  been  well  worth  printing.    It  set  him  to  thinking  ;  and, 
as  a  result,  he  brought  in  one  of  his  paintings,  a  bunch  of 
grapes,  and,  with  some  very  natural  blushes  and  misgivings, 
asked  Waterman  his  opinion  concerning  his  efforts.  Water- 
man pronounced  his  work  "  rather  good,"  and  told  him  to  "keep 
on  "  and  "  go  to  Europe  and  study."    This  was  sufficient  en- 
couragement for  Caliga,  and  he  immediately  plunged  into  busi- 
ness and  his  art,  and,  from  his  savings  and  what  his  parents 
could  afford,  he  was,  in  1878,  ready  for  his  first  important  step, 
going  in  the  fall  of  that  year  to  Munich.    At  that  time,  Wil- 
helm  Lindenschmit  was  the  popular  artist  among  the  students, 
his  "  Venus,"  exhibited  with  the  works  of  the  Munich  painters 
in  Boston  in  1878,  being  much  admired,  and  as  a  historical 
painter  he  had  been  styled  "one  of  the  foremost  living  artists 
of  Germany."    Caliga,  influenced  by  the  fame  of  Lindenschmit, 
entered  the  academy  under  his  instructions,  and,  like  all  stu- 
dents, thinking  his  master  had   no  equal,  for  several  years 
followed  in  his  footsteps.     Lindenschmit's  technical  ability  was 
unquestioned  by  the  critics  ;  but  his  color,  that  of  an  opaque 
brown  tone,  which  gave  a  leathery  hue  to  the  flesh,  was  open 
to  controversy.    Caliga  discovered  this  to  be  true,  and  when 
he  came  back  to  Boston,  five  years  later,  being  endowed  with 
a  good  natural  eye  for  a  higher  key  of  color,  soon  changed  his 
scheme.     Caliga,  while  in  Munich,  worked  hard  and  seriously, 
insomuch  that  he  engendered  a  jealousy  on  the  part  of  many 
students,  who  derided  him,  while  he,  not  yet  feeling  sure  of  his 
position,  or  that  he  was  outstripping  his  fellows,  suffered  no 
little  abuse  ;  but  time  cleared  up  all  estrangements,  and  before  he 
left  for  home  his  talents  gained  just  recognition,  and  his  exceed- 
ing good-nature  forgave  all.    His  "Flaw  in  the  Title"  and 
"  Lilly,"  the  latter  being  the  figure  of  a  young  lady  in  street  cos- 
tume, were  painted  in  Munich,  and  these,  with  others  of  his 


/.  II.  CALICA. 


31 


A'orks,  he  exhibited  in  Xew  \'oik  upon  his  return,  when  the 
American  Art  Association  purchased  "  Lilly."  thi  n  cann-  to 

Boston,  and  made  an  exhibition  at  Williams  cS:  l""verett's  ^raller- 
ies,  receiving,  as  he  did  in  New  \  ork.  favorable  comment  iVoiii 
the  press  and  artists.  The  artists  discerned  his  ability  as  a  story- 
teller, as  well  as  his  directness  and  fine  feeling  for  composition, 
and  when  he  fitted  up  his  sumptuous  studio  in  Phillips  HuiKhng 
he  was  soon  surrounded  b)  the  congenial  spirits  ol  our  art  workl. 


He  was  now  established  as  a  professional  artist,  and,  as  his 
financial  resources  were  limited,  he  was  obliged  to  draw  on  his 
courage  and  industry  for  a  while,  and  he  set  to  work  painting 
figure  pictures,  which  he  exhibited  in  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club 
displays,  being  a  member  of  this  influential  art  body.  He  was 
not  long  in  gaining  the  respect  of  the  commimity,  and  so  assid- 
uously did  he  carry  on  his  work  that  he  soon  had  pictures 
enough  to  send  to  New  York  and  other  important  centres  where 


32 


/.  H.  CALIGA. 


it  was  advantageous  for  him  to  exhibit.  From  figure  pictures 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  heads,  and  I  cannot 
help  feehng  that  in  this  particular  phase  of  his  painting  he 
shows  his  greatest  skill  and  completeness  of  finish.  This 
expression  is  no  disparagement  to  his  story-telling  pictures,  for 
he  is  capable  of  complete  finish  in  all  details,  and  after  a  time 
will  show  as  consummate  care  and  patience  in  every  accessory 
as  he  does  now  in  the  upper  portions  of  his  figures. 

Caliga  is  fond  of  interior  figure  pictures,  though  he  has 
painted  several  out-of-door  subjects,  and  in  the  latter  class  "The 
New  Chapter"  was  his  greatest  success.  The  incident  in  this 
work  was  one  full  of  sentiment,  and  quite  original  and  grand  in 
its  conception.  It  depicted  a  group  of  ladies  seated  under  the 
shadows  of  a  tree  in  a  garden.  The  principal  figure  was  that  of 
a  convalescent  mother,  who  was  enjoying  the  sweet  summer  air 
and 'the  story  which  a  young  lady  was  reading  for  her  bene- 
fit. Not  far  away,  a  nurse  sat  near  a  table,  with  a  babe  in  her 
arms.  While  everything  looked  as  if  painted  from  life,  and  had 
an  air  of  domestic  joy  about  it,  one  could  not  help  feeling  that 
the  artist's  mind  was  trying  to  grasp  a  subject  which  a  mas- 
ter only  could  render.  It  was  a  wonderful  interpretation,  how- 
ever, and  was  too  much  over  the  heads  of  the  public,  as  well  as 
many  of  the  artists ;  nevertheless,  it  established  his  reputation 
more  firmly  than  anything  he  had  previously  attempted,  show- 
ing his  insight  into  the  nature  of  things.  It  did  not  find  a 
patron,  however,  but  in  twenty  years  from  now  it  would  be 
readily  "  snapped  up."  Certain  it  is  that  few  artists  show  more 
sincerity  or  vigor  of  execution  than  was  manifested  in  this  work. 

Of  his  interiors,  "The  Bachelor's  Breakfast"  was  the  best,  in 
many  points.  The  bachelor  sits  with  his  knees  crossed,  and 
holding  a  paper  in  his  hand.  His  head  is  turned  toward  the 
coffee  bowl,  which  his  female  attendant  is  filling.    The  light 


/.  //.  C.UJGA. 


33 


falls  s^n-iuK'  into  the;  room  throiij^h  a  ciirtaiin-d  window  at  tin- 
a-ar.  in  which  is  placet!  a  pot  ol  k-rns.  hirnisliiiij^  a  hit  ol  color 


where  it  was  most  needed,  an  idea  he  carries  into  ever)'  picture 
he  has  ever  painted.  This  is  a  complete  paintinq;-  of  a  bit  of 
quiet  life,  and  its  stor)"  is  adniirabl)'  told,  in  drawing  antl  color. 


34 


/.  H.  CALIGA. 


His  "  Fleur-de-Lys,"  showing  a  profile  view  of  a  beautiful 
maiden,  diree-quarters  life  length,  was  a  fascinating  piece  of 
ideal  beauty,  and  prompted  a  Boston  lady  to  write  the  following 
poem,  printed  in  the  Traiiscri pt :  — 

"  FLEUR-I)E-LYS. 

"The  garden  path  lies  fresh  and  dewy  sweet 
Down  which  my  lady  passed  this  very  hour, 
For  I  can  trace  the  impress  of  her  feet 

Just  where  she  paused  to  pluck  her  favorite  flower. 

"How  like  a  sister  lily  on  its  stem 

My  ready  fancy  paints  her  bending  there  ! 
All  pure  as  they  from  crown  to  raiment's  hem, 
As  fragrant-breathed  and  radiantly  fair. 

"Now,  far  above  as  heaven  she  seems  to  stand  ; 
And  I  would  count  it  heaven  come  down  to  me, 
Would  she  but  drop  me  from  her  gracious  hand 
One  little  blossom  of  her  fleur-de-lys ! 

"a.  d.  w." 

The  picture  displayed  a  refined  idea  of  the  innocence  and 
consciousness  of  the  maiden's  mind. 

Caliga,  like  the  old  Dutch  painters,  shows  a  marked  love  of 
life  and  the  ardor  of  movement  and  occupation,  not  the  noise  of 
the  street  or  game,  but  the  repose  of  the  figure  and  the  anima- 
tion of  the  mind. 

In  portraiture  he  has  had  a  considerable  success,  the  two 
most  striking  in  point  of  likeness  and  the  grasp  of  character 
being  those  of  Thomas  Allen,  the  artist,  and  Judge  Russell. 
The  former  was  represented  full-length,  standing,  and  wore  a 
fur-lined  coat.  The  pose  was  firm  and  manly,  the  textures  of 
materials  were  painted  with  great  fidelity,  while  the  expression  of 
the  face  was  true  to  the  life.  Setting  aside  the  fact  that  the  sub- 
ject was  a  good  one,  from  an  artistic  standpoint,  Caliga  displayed 


/.  //.  CAl.IGA. 


35 


a  genuine  appreciation  for  the  subtleties  of  the  healthy  flesh-tints, 
ami  painted  theiii  with  a  clearness  and  strenj^th  worthy  of  an 
older  artist.  His  portrait  of  Mrs.  Cieorge  Maty  Hlaki-  was  an 
interesting  piece  of  painting,  perhaps  the  best  of  his  man) 
teniale  portraits,  while  little  "Hob"  may  be  ranked  as  one  of 
the  strongest  chikl  portraits  evi-r  jjainteil  in  Boston,  antl 
makes  one  forget  the  artist,  and  his  art  even,  when  studying 
the  charming  simplicity  anil  innoci-nce  of  the  youngster.  He 
paints  girl  faces  with  an  itU  al  and  poetic  fancy,  and  in  the  semi- 
nude,  or  heatl  and  shoulders,  he  has  shown  several  really  impor- 
tant subjects,  treatetl  with  much  grace  of  line  and  effectiveness 
ol  pose.  Caliga  is  yet  a  student.  That  is.  he  has  not  settled  on 
an\-  style  or  class  of  subjects.  —  he  will  say  this  himself.  —  but 
that  he  is  sure  of  finding  his  place,  and  making  an  enviable  rep- 
utation, no  one  can  gainsay.  It  seems  singular  that  he  should 
jjaint  with  ravishing  sweetness  the  head  of  a  girl,  and  on  the 
ne.xt  canvas  depict  the  head  of  an  old  man  or  woman  with  such 
a  wonderfully  poetical  and  reverential  feeling.  It  must  be  that 
Caliga  is  full  of  art,  tliat  he  feels  a  kindly  sympathy  for  such 
subjects,  and  doubtless  will  ultimately  settle  down  and  paint  this 
class  of  pictures.  Certain  it  is  that  in  the  exhibitions,  both 
here  and  in  New  York,  we  do  not  find  a  painter,  perhaps  with 
one  exception,  who  can  show  an  example  of  an  old  lady's  head 
which  will  carry  such  a  tender  and  religious  sentiment  as  is 
shown  in  Caliga's  work.  This  is  a  glorious  and  unoccupied 
field  for  him  to  work  in,  and  the  types  are  plentiful  for  him  to 
choose  from. 

Caliga  is  progressive,  feels  the  importance  of  continual  study 
and  application,  and  I  know  of  no  more  earnest  painter  than  he. 
When  he  left  Boston  in  1887  went  to  Germany,  it  was  be- 
cause of  his  stirring  nature,  and  a  desire  to  see  more  of  the  old- 
world  art  and  perfect  himself  in  his  knowledge  of  expression. 


36 


/.  H.  CALIGA. 


Several  of  the  works  he  has  sent  home  show  proofs  of  his  in- 
tense ambition  for  completeness  of  finish  and  the  mastery  of 
technique,  which  may  be  one  and  the  same  thing,  but  what  is 
meant  here  by  completeness  of  finish  is  to  carry  his  work  to  its 
extreme  limits,  leaving  nothing  undone.  His  healthy,  vigorous 
nature,  good  physique,  and  the  art  that  is  surely  in  him,  will 
win  him  a  place  among  our  foremost  painters.  Caliga  has 
sketched  very  little  about  our  suburbs  ;  he  prefers  the  pretty 
landscapes  and  familiar  scenes  of  his  native  State,  and  every 
summer  sets  up  his  easel  in  Angola,  Ind.,  where  he  has  made 
many  of  his  most  interesting  studies. 

Among  his  best  works  are  "  Fleur-de-Lys,"  owned  by  James 
B.  Colgate,  Esq.,  of  New  York;  "Two  Generations,"  in  Mr. 
John  N.  Weiss'  collection,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.  ;  "  Reminiscences," 
owned  by  Gov.  Oliver  Ames  ;  George  I.  Seney,  Esq.,  of  New 
York,  owns  "  Violet"  and  several  other  good  things  by  Caliga; 
Prentice  R.  Kent,  Esq.,  owns  his  "  Bachelor's  Breakfast,"  and 
W.  M.  Allen,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  owns  "  Innocence"  and  others  of 
his  works. 


W.  B.  CLOSSON. 


Perhaps  with  no  other  art  is  the  public  eye  more  familiar 
than  that  of  engfravinof.  Our  p-rcat  maofazincs,  tlie  best  in  the 
\vorld,  as  far  as  wood-engraving  illustrations  go,  have  done 
much  to  educate  the  public  taste  and  carry  them  along  from 
time  to  time  ;  from  the  carved  plank  to  the  higher  grades  of  the 
engraver's  art,  so  that  to-day  no  mean  thing  will  be  tolerated, 
the  enp^ravincj  must  be  from  the  most  skilful  hands  and  the 
most  gifted  artist.  Conspicuous  among  the  thoughtful  engrav- 
ers of  this  country  stands  W.  B.  Closson,  who  is  widely  known 
and  appreciated,  not  by  his  illustrations  of  interiors,  though  they 
are  full  of  truth  and  firm  lines,  but  by  his  fidelity  to  the  works  of 
the  masters,  old  and  modern,  and  more  particularly  by  his  won- 
derful and  imaginative  engravings,  which  as  yet  have  not  become 
extensively  known. 

Closson  was  born  in  Thetford,  Vt.,  in  October,  1848.  He 
graduated  from  the  Academy  into  a  clerkship  in  a  railroad  shop, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  came  to  Boston  on  a  visit  to  his 

37 


38 


W.  B.  C LOS  SON. 


brother.  While  here  a  family  friend  called  one  evening,  and 
brought  a  box  containing  an  ivory  crucifix  ;  and  with  it  were 
some  engraver's  tools,  which  greatly  interested  young  Closson, 
who  was  eager  to  know  their  use.  After  his  return  home  he 
began  to  paint  and  draw  from  objects,  and  soon  interested  his 
brother  in  his  work ;  to  such  an  extent  that  he  sent  him  a  set  of 
engraver's  tools,  with  which  he  worked  in  the  early  mornings 
and  evenings,  and  at  the  solicitations  of  his  brother  came  to 
Boston  and  took  a  situation  at  an  engraver's  bench.  At  the  same 
time  he  entered  the  Lowell  Institute,  and  later  on  modelled  in 
clay.  He  progressed  rapidly,  and  his  work  soon  found  a  ready 
market;  and  in  the  Salon  of  1881  he  received  an  "honorable 
mention"  for  his  examples  of  figure  studies.  In  1882  he  ac- 
companied Mr.  Drake,  of  the  Century  Company,  to  Europe,  and 
in  the  same  year  received  the  third  medal  award  from  the  Salon, 
for  excellence 'in  wood-engraving.  In  1884  he  visited  England, 
France,  Northern  Italy,  Holland,  and  Belgium,  and  made  many 
studies  of  the  old  masters.  The  first  work  that  he  signed,  after 
setting  up  for  himself,  was  the  blocks  for  Longfellow's  illustrated 
poems,  and  immediately  after  this  he  went  to  New  York  and 
made  many  blocks  for  the  Scribners,  among  them  being  the 
"  Russian  Girl,"  and  this,  with  the  "  Winifred  Dysart,"  pub- 
lished in  the  Art  Review,  brought  him  into  general  notice. 
Later  he  worked  for  the  Harpers,  and  has  contributed  many 
important  engravings  to  special  publications.  Among  his  most 
notable  works  there  maybe  mentioned,  "The  Turkey  Pasture," 
and  "Winifred  Dysart,"  after  George  Fuller,  Fortuny's  "Sheik," 
Da  Vinci's  head  of  Christ,  and  the  grasses  and  flowers  of  Leon 
Bonvin — the  last  named  being,  perhaps,  the  most  subtle  and 
truthful  of  all  his  interpretations  of  others. 

Closson  possesses  not  only  great  skill  in  the  mechanical 
features  of  engraving,  but  is  by  nature  an  artist  and  painter. 


IV.  B.  C LOS  SON.  39 

Forced,  as  he  was  and  is,  to  the  ])ul)Hsh('r's  idea  of  shadins^  and 
expression,  or  of  exact  hniitation  in  reproduction,  and  yet  work- 
ing- earnestly  to  give  that  only  which  shall  faithfully  represent 
the  artist,  —  that  is,  to  show  IuiIUm-  as  iMiller  |)ainted,  or  Bonvin 
as  he  drew,  —  he  longed  to  emancipate  himself  from  this  narrow 
sphere  and  venture  into  a  more  congenial  field  of  his  art,  where 
he  need  not  sacrifice  himself  to  reproduce  another.  Accord- 


ingly, two  years  ago  he  took  up  a  block,  determined  to  put  his 
imaginations  upon  its  surface  without  drawing  a  line  ;  to  let  his 
thoughts  inspire  his  graver.  He  entered  into  his  work  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  painter,  and,  having  thought  out  his  subject, — 
that  is,  impressed  his  imagination  with  his  picture,  —  in  his  lei- 
sure hours  he  drew  with  his  graver  a  most  exquisite  and  original 
engraving.    To  carry  his  picture  in  his  mind,  while  employed  in 


40 


W.  B.  CLOSSON. 


other  work,  and  to  take  it  up  and  complete  it  in  the  manner 
that  is  shown,  is  indeed  a  creditable  and  interesting  achieve- 
ment. One  block,  five  by  seven  inches,  represents  on  the  right 
a  great  tree  trunk,  with  branches  running  out  of  the  picture  ;  a 
dense  foliage  and  shadows  fill  the  lower  centre  of  the  work, 
while  in  the  upper  left  corner  a  flood  of  sunlight  falls  on  the 
tips  of  goldenrod,  and  the  birds  are  seen  as  if  singing  praises 
to  the  warmth  and  sweetness  of  the  air.  In  another  block  he 
has  engraved  the  light  and  airy  butterfly  in  a  woody  glen,  with 
infinite  detail  in  the  foreground  ;  still  another  shows  a  fine  de- 
tailed drawing  of  a  bull  thistle;  its  form,  sharp  points,  and 
anatomy,  and  the  graded  light  that  gives  its  full  glow  in  the 
perspective,  are  exquisitely  wrought.  The  thistle  has  a  full- 
blown flower,  at  the  top  of  the  picture,  and  upon  this  rests  a 
bee;  though  a  tiny  part  of  the  work,  it  is  really  the  most  inter- 
esting, for  it  shows  the  nature  of  the  bee,  earnest  and  absorbed 
in  his  cumulative  work.  In  all  of  these  conceptions  there  is  evi- 
denced much  freedom  of  expression,  as  well  as  poetry.  Here 
is  latitude  for  the  mind,  and  it  is  improved  in  the  same  way  that 
a  child  bounds  from  its  servitude  of  the  school  session  into  the 
joys  of  vacation.  One  notices  at  a  glance  that  there  is  no 
lightness  in  the  work,  that  there  is  a  sense  of  delicate  vibration 
in  the  touch,  and  the  line  is  so  gently  engraved  that  every 
part  seems  to  blend  in  relation  and  value.  One  can  penetrate 
beyond  the  foreground,  can  feel  rather  than  see  the  modelling, 
and  in  the  butterfly  picture  can  note  the  lightness  of  the 
insects  and  the  fixedness  of  the  earth.  We  see  now  for  the 
first  time  the  artist's  scope  and  intelligence,  his  poetic  tendency 
and  subtle  touch,  and  that  a  new  field  is  opened  to  the  once 
cramped  and,  in  a  certain  sense,  imitative  work  of  the  engraver. 

He  has  a  second  style  of  this  imaginative  engraving,  wherein 
he  makes  memoranda  on  his  block,  the  others  having  a  plain 


U:  B.  C LOS  SON. 


41 


surface,  ^vith  th(^  pencil,  just  as  the  artist  outlines  his  subject  in 
charcoal.  He  iiia)'  alter  much  t)l  his  suo<;esti\e  or  located  lines 
when  he  uses  his  o-raver;  consetiucntl)',  there  is  no  loss  of  imag'i- 
nation  on  account  of  the  pencil  work.  These  revelations  of  the 
artist's  mind  will  awaken  a  new  interest  in  woocl-enirravincr,  and 
open  a  new  channel  for  the  artist  enq^ravers  of  our  country;  but 
Closson  is  to  be  credited  with  the  first  successful  and  important 
steps  in  this  departure,  though  there  have  been  other  attempts 
in  the  same  direction.  Closson  has  also  been  engaged  in 
another  art  work.  I  lax  ing  been  trained  to  think  out  his  prob- 
lems as  an  engraver,  he  has  studied  the  possibility  of  a  free  line 
on  copper  which  should  not  be  obtained  by  etching,  and  has 
already  made  some  beautiful  reproductions  of  the  masters,  as 
well  as  original  works.  The  method  is  quite  original;  and  in 
the  examples  shown  is  so  nearly  like  etching  that  the  expert 
cannot  tell  the  difference,  though  there  is  one.  In  this 
method  one  can  detect  sensitiveness  of  line  and  a  more  har- 
monious result  than  is  noticeable  in  the  bitten  work  of  the 
etching. 

There  is  just  as  much  freedom  evident  in  the  drawing  and 
handling  as  in  etching,  while  it  is  evident  that  he  has  in  this 
method  the  widest  range  of  character  of  line  and  its  treatment 
at  command  ;  the  limit,  he  assures  me,  being  only  in  the  mind 
of  the  worker.  The  printing  is  made  from  copper,  on  a  roller 
press,  exactly  like  an  etching,  and  also  has  all  the  advantages  of 
retroussage.  Every  line  of  the  work  is  made  by  his  own  hand, 
and  there  is  no  intervention  of  photographic  or  chemical  aid. 
From  the  fact  that  the  line  is  cut,  Closson  styles  these  plates 
"  Intaglios;"  this  distinguishes  them  in  name  from  etched  plates 
or  engraved  work  for  relief  printing.  Possessing,  as  these  prints 
do,  all  the  wealth  of  color  of  the  etching,  with  possibilities  of 
even  greater  variety  of  treatment,  and  considering  the  remark- 


42 


IV.  B.  CLOSSON. 


able  results  of  the  work  already  clone,  I  see  no  reason  why  this 
method  may  not,  at  least  in  a  degree,  supplant  etching,  when 
Closson  shall  see  fit  to  give  his  knowledge  to  the  public.  At 
present  it  is  only  a  fair  reward  for  the  time  and  effort  ex- 
pended in  reaching  his  results,  that  he  should  keep  his  meth- 
ods to  himself,  but  he  intimates  his  willingness  to  have  others 
ultimately  benefit  by  it. 

Closson  has  shown  several  interesting  mezzotints  from  his 
own  paintings  of  children's  heads,  which  are  highly  prized  for 
their  insight  into  the  innocence  and  characteristics  of  the  little 
ones. 

His  engraving  of  the  head  of  Christ  by  Da  Vinci,  preserved 
in  the  museum  at  Milan,  retains  the  force  of  the  original, 
and  the  feeling  of  love  and  tenderness  is  brought  to  the  sur- 
face with  a  sense  of  the  religious  element  which  permeates 
the  subject. 

He  wishes  to  comprehend  the  work  of  another  before  he 
engraves  it,  because  in  this,  as  well  as  in  his  own  imaginative 
work,  every  touch  of  his  graver  to  the  wood  must  mean  some- 
thing or  nothing,  and,  that  his  work  may  have  the  qualities  of 
freshness,  vigor,  and  delicacy  which  he  desires,  he  makes  it  to 
mean  something  every  time. 

There  are  numerous  blocks  from  Closson's  hands  which 
might  be  referred  to,  but  all  show  the  same  fidelity  to  the  origi- 
nal drawing;  and  from  the  day  he  started  at  the  bench,  to  date, 
he  has  never  departed  from  his  original  style,  though  the  temp- 
tation to  enter  into  the  new  school  of  producers,  not  interpreters, 
has  been  very  great  in  many  ways.  He  has  kept  right  on  with 
pure  line  and  faithfulness  to  his  subject.  The  brush  mark  is 
not  all  that  he  sees  in  a  picture  or  drawing,  and  effect  is  not 
the  end  of  his  art.  Intervals,  degrees  of  light,  modelling,  and 
air  must  pervade  his  works. 


//'.   /.'.   C  LOS  SOX 


43 


There  is  much  common  s)'mpathy  between  Closson  and  tht; 
artist  illustrator.  He  comprehends  the  equality  and  reHnement 
in  others,  and  can  be  relied  on  for  faithful  interpretations,  but 
prefers  to  handle  that  which  is  ecjual  to  his  own  conceptions  ol 
beauty,  even  if  the  manipulation  of  his  block  rec^uires  twicer  the 
labor  of  an  ordinarj-  production. 


J.  FOXCROFT  COLE.  S.  A.  A. 


There  are  few  American  artists  livina^  more  conversant  with 
or  who  have  been  greater  factors  in  the  elevation  of  the  standard 
of  art  in  this  country  than  Cole.  When  one  considers  that  it 
was  he  who  brought  the  first  Corot  to  America,  and  at  a  time 
when  a  good  example  of  this  master  could  be  bought  for  sixty 
dollars,  we  may  be  pretty  sure  that  his  knowledge  of  art  and 
the  greatest  art  epoch  in  painting  that  has  existed  for  the  past 
two  centuries  is  based  on  something'  substantial,  and  is  of  an 
interesting  historical  nature.  Cole  was  born  in  Jay,  Me.,  in 
1837,  where  he  lived  until  his  seventh  year,  when  he  came  to 
Boston  and  completed  his  common-school  education.  After 
leaving  school,  he  entered  Bufford's  lithographic  establishment, 
where  Eastman  Johnson  had  worked  several  years,  and  there 
drew  on  stone,  with  Winslow  Homer  as  a  fellow-draughtsman. 

At  that  time,  just  before  the  war,  when  the  Old  Diisseldorf 
Art  Gallery,  on  Broadway,  New  York,  was  the  greatest  and  only 
one  in  our  country,  and  Andreas  Achenbach  was  the  realistic 
genius  who  was  most  prized,  and  whose  examples  of  explora- 
tions into  nature  were  most  worshipped  by  artists,  Cole 
had  no  desires  to  become  an  artist.    He  saw  most  of  the  pict- 

45 


46 


/.  FOXCROFT  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


ures  that  came  to  Boston  ;  and  the  Dusseldorf  school,  with  now 
and  then  a  few  EngHsh  works  to  vary  or  add  to  the  monotony, 
was  not  of  a  nature  to  inspire  him,  and  it  was  not  until  he  saw 
a  Troyon  that  he  awakened  to  the  idea  that  he  would  like  to  use 
color  and  become  a  painter. 

Troyon's  masterly  style  and  color,  as  well  as  subjects,  struck 
a  tender  chord  in  young  Cole's  nature,  and,  when  but  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  he  resolved  to  enter  the  art  world,  and  study 
for  the  profession.  In  i860  he  went  to  Paris,  and  immediately 
began  his  studies  with  Lambinet,  with  whom  he  continued  for 
three  years,  during  which  time  he  was  a  student  in  the  gov- 
ernment schools  of  Paris,  working  in  the  studio  in  winter,  at- 
tending the  life  school  in  the  evening,  and  in  the  summers 
sketching  with  Lambinet.  At  the  end  of  his  studies  he  took  a 
trip  through  Italy,  and  made  many  interesting  sketches  at  the 
then  favorite  resorts  of  the  artists.  He  returned  to  this  country 
for  a  short  visit,  and  revisited  Paris,  and,  by  good  fortune,  fell  in 
with  a  distinguished  party  of  French  painters,  at  Cerney  la  Ville, 
among  whom  were  Jules  Hereau,  Achard,  a  lovable  old  land- 
scape-painter, Auguste  Bonheur,  and  others  of  note.  This  was 
a  memorable  summer  for  Cole,  and  he  has  ever  retained  the  in- 
fluence it  had  over  him  and  his  painting.  It  was  in  1865,  after 
a  brief  visit  to  his  home,  that  he  commenced  his  studies  in 
Jacque's  studio,  Paris.  Here  he  was  set  to  work  painting  in 
subjects  from  Jacque's  pencil  drawings,  and  carrying  out  the 
ideas  intended  by  his  master  as  far  as  he  could,  when  Jacque 
would  take  them,  change  the  technique,  and  in  a  few  hours  sign 
the  pictures.  Jacque  was  a  keen  critic,  and  it  was  in  his  studio 
that  Cole  gained  many  excellent  ideas,  and  met  Diaz  and  other 
noted  artists  frequently.  He  was  on  the  ground  when  in  1867 
the  ripened  results  of  French  art  were  shown  in  the  great  expo- 
sition.   The  glories  of  Millet,  Daubigny,  Rousseau,  and  Corot 


J.  I'OXCROI'T  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


47 


were  here  shown  in  their  fuhicss  for  the  first  time,  and  all  wcsc. 
more  completely  recoj^nizeil  from  that  time  out  than  they  ever 
were  before.  Cole  exhibited  his  first  wcM'k  in  the  Salon  of  iS66, 
and  was  represented  in  thv.  International  Ivxposition  and  in  the 
Salon  of  1867.  lie  passed  the  summer  of  1867  in  Belj^ium, 
and  in  the  sketchinjr  season  of  1870  he  went  with  Jules  Hereau 
and  Mark  iMsher  to  the  Xormandy  coast,  and  in  the  winter  went 
to  England  wiib  l-isher,  the  lailer  intending  to  come  hack  to 


America,  l)ut  he  never  came,  for  he  became  appreciated  there, 
and  is  to-da)'  one  of  the  most  esteemed  artists  in  London. 
Cole  returned  to  America  and  established  his  home  and  sketch- 
ing ground  in  Melrose,  and  his  studio  in  the  Century  Building, 
Boston.  Still  longing  for  the  atmosphere  of  Paris,  and  con- 
tented only  to  remain  in  America  on  account  of  his  family,  he 
was  finally  enabled  to  take  his  people  to  Paris,  where  he  lived 
for  a  little  more  than  three  years  in  winter  months,  and  on  the 


48 


/.  FOXCROFT  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


Normandy  coast  in  the  summers.  He  exhibited  in  the  Salons 
of  1873,  1874,  and  1875,  at  the  Royal  Academy,  and  the  Man- 
chester exhibition,  which  shows  that  he  kept  constantly  at  work, 
and  that  he  was  appreciated,  and  was  able  to  be  represented  in 
the  exhibits  regularly,  and  to  send  to  this  country  from  time  to 
time  examples  from  his  brush. 

In  the  fall  of  1877,  he  returned  to  America,  and,  after  an  im- 
portant sale  of  his  works  in  the  spring  of  1878,  erected  a  house 
and  studio  at  Winchester,  where  he  lived  for  nine  years,  after 
which  he  visited  California,  then  Paris,  and  returned  home  in 
the  winter  of  1887,  and  opened  his  present  studio  on  Boylston 
Street. 

Cole  has  sketched  in  Holland  and  England,  and  at  his  recent 
exhibition  at  Doll  &  Richards'  galleries  there  were  several  in- 
teresting studies  made  in  California.  During  his  dozen  or  more 
years'  residence  abroad,  he  has  associated  with  the  strongest  art 
men  of  France,  and  his  reminiscences  of  these  famous  artists  are 
exceedingly  interesting.  I  once  heard  him  relate  an  incident 
about  Dore  which  is  worth  repeating,  showing  the  indomitable 
spirit  of  that  artist,  and  what  pluck  will  accomplish.  It  seems 
that  Dore  and  Cole  were  in  the  habit  of  dining  together  in  the 
same  restaurant,  and  one  day,  during  a  conversation  in  French, 
Dore  remarked  that  he  wished  he  knew  English  as  well  as  Cole  ; 
he  could  then  go  to  London.  Cole  indorsed  the  sentiment, 
for  he  had  a  liking  for  Dore,  and  knew  how  he  suffered  from 
lack  of  recognition  in  Paris.  They  immediately  set  to  work  on 
the  English  language,  and  from  this  moment  out  Dore  plunged 
into  his  new  studies,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  time  he  spoke 
English  quite  fluently,  and  soon  went  to  London,  where  he 
gave  his  famous  exhibition  and  made  his  first  genuine  and  per- 
manent success,  and  all  from  a  quiet  hint  and  kindly  talk  over 
a  dining-table. 


J.  I'OXCROFT  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


49 


One  can  scarcely  estimate  the  inlliR-nce  Cole,  in  common 
with  Hunt,  "Tom"  Robinson,  \.  II.  Hicknell,  and  Henry 
Sayles,  has  had  on  the  arts  of  the  two  continents.  In  France 
he  was  pointing  to  America  and  sending  us  the  Courbets,  Co- 
rots,  Daubignys,  Rousseaus,  and  other  works  ;  in  America  he 
was  shaping  the  minds  of  the  few  patrons  and  man)-  students  to 
look  to  France  for  their  good  art.  It  must  be  a  satisfaction  for 
him  to  look  back  over  this  pioneer  work,  and  let  us  hope  that 
he  enjoys  the  result  of  the  labors  which  his  instincts  and  energy 
fostered. 

Cole's  work  is  always  serious.  He  goes  out  to  nature  to 
study  as  a  dutiful  child  attends  school.  He  takes  his  seat  in 
the  field  or  on  the  river  bank,  and  forgets  all  else  but  the 
lesson  spread  before  his  eyes.  Study,  study,  study,  patiently  he 
transfers  the  scene  to  his  canvas,  and  with  sure  drawing  his 
sketch  is  after  a  time  a  complete  memorandum.  His  art  is  per- 
fect in  rhythmic  measure,  even  in  its  cadence,  and  his  color  is 
always  sympathetic.  He  would  have  been  successful  as  an  ar- 
chitect, would  have  been  solid  in  his  construction  and  firm  in 
his  lines,  not  severe  but  important  in  point  of  harmony ;  indeed, 
I  think  there  would  have  been  a  distinguished  and  quietly  grand 
appearance  in  his  edifices.  Had  he  been  a  poet,  his  verse 
would  have  been  historical  and  correct  in  data,  and  ever  worthy  of 
study  by  the  scholar.  Cole  thinks  deeply  and  paints  deeply  and 
is  conscious  of  his  art ;  his  works  show  it.  He  is  also  conscious 
of  the  wealth  of  nature  in  her  varying  moods,  and  complacently 
yields  to  her  charms.  He  does  not  always  paint  what  he  sees, 
his  ideas  of  composition  and  picture-making  are  too  well  bal- 
anced to  make  mistakes.  Where  one  might  rush  in  in  a  passion 
and  love  for  nature,  and  greedily  depict  all  that  is  before  him. 
Cole  carefully  selects  his  picture  and  knows  what  to  leave  out  or 
put  in.    This  is  reserve.    One  of  his  most  poetic  pictures,  to 


50 


J.  FOX  CROFT  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


my  fancy,  owned  by  E.  R.  Morse,  Esq.,  of  Charlestown,  Mass., 
depicts  a  cow  drinking  at  a  pool  of  water  in  the  shadow  of  a 
wall,  over  which  hang  tree  branches  loaded  with  peach  blos- 
soms. It  is  a  simple,  quiet  effect,  and  is  pure  in  tone,  and  soft 
and  delightful  in  its  atmosphere.  One  cannot  add  to  or  take 
anything  away  from  it. 

In  Cole's  more  recent  work  I  feel  that  his  colors  are  applied 
with  more  freedom  and  purity,  that  they  are  not  stifled,  and  that 
his  cloud-light  is  diffused  over  the  earth  with  a  softer  and  gen- 
tler spell ;  there  is  less  of  the  cold,  pulseless  gray.  Several  can- 
vases painted  in  Holland,  in  1887,  are  not  only  locally  true,  but 
they  possess  a  healthy  and  rich  quality  of  color,  and  a  tone  that 
is  sweet  and  even. 

His  nature  is  of  the  passive  or  patient  order,  though  he  pos- 
sesses an  undercurrent  of  vigor,  which  now  and  then  is  mani- 
fested on  some  large  canvas,  where  may  be  seen  strong  and 
marked  effects  of  light,  shade,  and  form.  He  is  not  demonstra- 
tive, never  loud  or  dashing,  but  portrays  the  quiet,  sunny  fields 
with  sheep  and  cows,  the  roadway  with  expanse  of  ground  on 
either  side,  and  airy  perspective  in  the  horizon  or  lingering  over 
the  hills,  the  cattle  grazing  or  reposing  in  the  tree  shadows,  the 
gray  clouds  with  occasional  glimpses  of  sunlight  illuminating 
their  edges,  and  if  he  be  in  Holland,  where  air,  earth,  and  water 
are  in  movement,  he  is  quickened  in  his  drawing  and  color, 
and  feels  the  local  atmosphere,  its  penetrating  vitality,  and  the 
strength  and  weight  of  the  earth.  He  sees  like  a  sage  and 
paints  as  a  prophet  with  a  satisfying,  knowing  manner  quite 
compatible  with  facts,  and  inborn  love  for  nature.  It  can 
readily  be  claimed  for  Cole  that  he  is  original  and  individual  in 
his  subjects  and  interpretations,  that  his  best  paintings  are  sin- 
cere bits  of  pastoral  color,  and  that  his  works  carry  conviction  of 
the  breadth  and  subtlety  and  the  silent  eloquence  of  creations. 


J.  FOXCROFT  COLE,  S.  A.  A. 


5' 


Cole  is  a  member  of  the  Societ)"  of  American  Artists,  has 
been  before  the  piihhc  as  a  painter  over  a  (juarter  of  a  cen- 
tur)',  and  is  now,  since  the  death  of  Thomas  Rol)inson,  the 
onl\-  active  relic  of  the  once  stron<^  coterie  ol  stront^  nuMi  who 
laid  the  base  of  our  National  School  of  Art.  It  would  be 
impossible  and  hardly  necessar)-  to  o^ive  a  list  of  his  best 
works,  but  there  are  some  near  at  hand  that  niij^ht  be  iiu'n- 
tioned.  His  "  Ram  and  I'Lwe "  is  owned  b)  the  Union  C  lub 
of  Boston;  '"Willow  Brook"  belongs  to  the  Somerset  Club; 
••  The  Weakest  goes  to  the  Wall,"  in  the  collection  of  Peter  S. 
Brooks,  I'Lsq.  ;  "Twilight,  Melrose  Highlands,"  Henry  Sayles, 
Ks(|.  ;  "  Landscape  with  Sheep,"  S.  H.  Russell,  Esq.  ;  "  Cattle 
in  the  Fields,"  George  B.  Chase.  His  pictures  of  "  Cows  Ru- 
minating," "Coast  Scene  in  Normandy,"  and  the  "Melrose 
Twilig-ht "  were  in  the  Centennial,  and  were  awarded  a  medal 
and  diploma. 


L.  D.  I-LDRKD. 


Eldred  is  a  marine  artist,  and  was  l^orn  at  Fairhav(?n,  Mass. 
His  father  was  a  boat-builder  of  note,  and  one  interested  in  all 
affairs  of  a  marine  nature.  In  his  youn^^  days,  our  subject  man- 
ifested a  love  for  the  sea  and  its  varied  charms,  and  was  natu- 
rally interested  in  his  father's  work.  It  requires  no  stretch 
of  imagination  to  go  back  twenty  or  more  years  and  discover 
the  boy  artist  with  his  sketch-book  and  pencil,  rummaging 
about  among  the  chips  of  the  shops,  watching  the  construction 
of  the  boats,  the  rigging,  the  movements  of  the  workmen,  or 
sailing  his  boat  and  otherwise  entering  w^ith  enthusiasm  into  all 
matters  relating  to  the  artistic  side  of  salt  water  and  its  acces- 
sories. 

Thus  early  did  he  begin  his  career  as  an  artist,  and,  being 
endowed  with  a  keen  perception  of  the  beautiful,  and  invariably 
to  be  found  at  the  water's  edge,  his  sketches  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  visitors  to  the  shore,  among  whom,  upon  one  occasion, 
was  William  Bradford,  who,  at  the  time,  had  a  summer  studio  in 
New  Bedford,  and  to  whom  Eldred  acknowledges  his  obliga- 
tion for  whatever  success  he  has  had.  Bradford,  after  looking 
over  his  studies  in  color  and  his  drawings,  gave  him  an  easel  in 

53 


54 


L.  D.  ELDRED. 


his  own  studio,  and  guided  his  course  for  several  years,  until 
he  went  to  New  York,  and  even  then  gave  him  a  privilege  with 
him  during  his  stay  in  the  metropolis.  After  a  time,  Eldred 
came  to  Boston,  and  opened  a  studio  on  Bedford  Street,  where 
he  remained  a  year  or  so,  ultimately  removing  to  Pemberton 
Square. 

Relying  on  his  own  energy  and  native  talent,  he  accumu- 
lated sufficient  funds  to  visit  Europe,  and  in  the  winter  of 
1880  we  find  him  studying  in  Julian's  studio  in  Paris.  In  the 
early  spring  of  1881,  he  started  on  an  extended  tour  through 
Italy  and  the  South  of  France,  and  returned  to  Boston  in  the 
fall  of  1 88 1,  well  provided  with  studies,  finished  pictures,  and 
knowledge.  The  result  of  this  endeavor  to  perfect  himself  in 
the  art  was  shown  in  several  pictures  he  exhibited  in  the  Art 
Club,  of  which  he  is  a  member,  the  most  important  of  them 
being  a  scene  in  Venice.  This  painting  won  for  him  not  only 
the  respect  of  the  artists,  but  that  of  the  patrons  as  well,  and 
his  "Venice"  soon  became  the  property  of  a  noted  Boston 
collector. 

The  impressions  made  upon  him  during  his  next  trip  abroad, 
which  occurred  in  1883,  will,  doubtless,  remain  throughout  his 
future,  for,  being  an  ardent  lover  of  color,  he  gratified  that 
sense  to  its  fullest  degree,  visiting  the  seaports  of  the  Medi- 
terranean, the  Spanish  Peninsula,  Algeria,  and  Morocco. 
Algiers  and  Tangier  seemed  to  absorb  most  of  his  attention, 
and,  judging  from  his  work  since  his  return,  it  is  evident  that 
the  influence  upon  the  color  mechanism  of  his  eyes  was  health- 
ful and  of  immense  benefit.  After  an  absence  of  a  year,  Eldred 
returned  and  settled  down  in  Studio  Building,  where  he  has 
quietly  utilized  the  materials  obtained  in  his  observations  and 
studies  while  abroad. 

Eldred  is  thoroughly  an  artist,  for  he  always  sees  things 


/..  EI.DRED. 


55 


with  an  cyt-  lor  the  bcauiilul.  A  visit  to  his  ^tiuiiw  cHscloses 
the  prcilominant  features  of  his  art  to  he  marines  ami  shon; 
paintins^s,  but  a  j^^lance  over  his  walls  ami  throui^h  his  sketch- 
books reveals  his  love  for  llowers.  the  nude,  portraiture.  land- 
scapes, architecture,  and  every  other  phase  of  pictorial  |K)ssi- 
bil  ities.  He  doubtless  finds  relief  in  paintin«r  diffcr(MU  ihin^rs, 
ami  paints  as  he  feels  ;  but  it  is  in  his  marines  that  wc;  find  him 
at  his  best,  for  in  these  he  portrays  his  li\cliesi  instincts  and  his 
most  intense  passion.    I  cannot  feel  that  his  work  shows  the 


influence  of  any  other  marine  i)ainter ;  quite  the  contrary,  he 
is  original  in  his  style,  both  in  selection  of  subject  and  treat- 
ment, sees  nature  with  his  eyes  wide-open,  and  is  never  uncer- 
tain in  his  vision. 

In  studying  pencil  drawings  in  his  sketch-books,  and  his 
recent  successful  attempts  at  etching,  one  finds  that  the  artist 
has  thoroughly  acquainted  himself  w^ith  every  detail  of  shipping, 
and  that  he  has  studied  with  all  seriousness  the  wonders, 
revealed  in  varied  degrees,  of  the  natural  condition  —  light. 


56 


L.  D.  ELDRED. 


This  acquired  knowledge  he  carries  into  his  color  work,  and,  as 
a  consequence,  he  is  able  to  depict  with  much  freedom  and 
poetic  feeling  the  local  character  of  any  place  or  hour.  In  no 
sense  is  he  prosaic,  but  is  rather  fascinated  with  the  ensemble 
of  things,  thus  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  draw  his  objects  in  a 
petty  way.  These  traits  are  noticeable  in  his  compositions ; 
his  "  Venice,"  "  Gibraltar,"  and  "  Wrecked  "  all  show  his  power 
in  centralization,  so  that  he  obtains  picturesque  effects  with- 
out slighting  the  details.  In  a  recently  finished  painting, 
wherein  he  pictures  a  camel  train  on  the  Algerian  desert,  these 
features  are  as  clearly  defined  as  in  any  of  those  mentioned 
above.  He  portrays  the  great  stretch  of  sand,  the  movement 
of  the  Arabs  seated  on  the  backs  of  the  camels,  lunging  to  and 
fro  at  every  stride  of  the  animals,  the  hot  atmosphere  pervading 
the  scene,  and  other  incidents,  which  can  be  studied  in  detail  or 
as  a  whole,  the  same  as  if  the  sand  were  sea,  and  the  objects 
ships  or  boats  upon  its  surface. 

In  Eldred's  etchings,  the  practice  of  which  he  has  but 
recently  taken  up,  one  can  discover  a  very  sensitive  feeling  for 
light  and  shade,  and  a  delicate,  almost  effeminate  touch.  His 
"  Gibraltar,"  the  property  of  Dr.  Main,  of  Boston,  is  etched 
for  this  work,  and  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  pencil  drawing, 
though  the  lines  are  mostly  bitten.  Somehow  an  artist  cannot 
hide  his  style  or  ability  in  an  etching ;  he  shows  just  what  he 
can  do  with  the  point,  just  how  steady  and  sure  his  hand  is,  as 
well  as  his  knowledge  of  drawing.  Good  color  aids  the  poor 
draughtsman  as  it  helps  the  one  more  able  ;  but  in  etching  it  is 
black  and  white,  and  every  touch  counts  one  way  or  the  other. 
Considering  that  the  plate  spoken  of  is  the  fifth  executed  by 
Eldred,  it  is  certainly  a  creditable  rendering  of  his  best  effort 
in  painting,  and  gives  evidence  of  true  artistic  ability  in  this 
direction. 


/..   n.   !  1. 1)  RED. 


57 


Be  it  in  ('tchini^!>.  oil.  or  water-colors,  the  nio\ciiK'iit  of  his 
waves  or  the  cahn  of  the  sea,  Kklred's  drawing  counts  as  an 
important  factor  in  his  knowledt^e.  and  shows  how  close  has 
been  his  observation  of  this  transitory  element. 

Possessed  of  an  even  temperament,  it  is  but  naliiral  that  we 
should  find  his  compositions  well  balanced,  and  his  every  effort 
interesting;,  ai^reeable,  and  <rood  decorative  compan)-. 

Kldred  has  painted  many  pictures,  and  the  followini;  niay  be 
mentioned  in  conjunction  wiili  those  aireatl)-  spoken  of:  "  Mid- 
Ocean,"  \\.  R.  Ives.  I'!s([..  Bridgeport,  Conn.  ;  "  .Ship  at  Sea." 
C.  B.  Brooks,  E.sq.,  Boston;  "The  .Sea-Beat  .Shore,"  John 
Reece,  Esq.,  Brookline,  Mass.  ;  "  Marine  View."  R.  M.  Pulsif(;r, 
E.sq.;  "  X'enice,"  Mr.  Blodgett,  Newton,  Mass.;  "  (iibraltar," 
Dr.  Charles  Main,  Boston  ;  "  Sentinel  Rock,"  Mrs.  Edward 
Haskell,  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  several  others — in  the;  col- 
lections of  B.  S.  Hosford,  Esq.,  Boston  ;  ICllsworth  Torrey, 
Ii!sq..  Providence,  R.  I.  ;  Joseph  S.  Fay,  Escp.  Boston,  Mass. ; 
lohii  C.  Webster,  Esq..  Jamaica  Plains. 


JOHN  J.  ENNEKING. 


In  the  years  that  Enneking^  has  been  in  Boston,  he  has  made 
his  name  famihar  to  every  one  in  the  least  interested  in  art. 
His  enthusiasm  and  well  founded  ideas  in  art  have  stimulated 
the  community,  and  influenced  the  student  in  his  study  and 
search  for  what  was  really  good.  He  came  to  Boston  in  1865, 
and  at  that  time  was  engaged  in  some  mercantile  enterprise. 
Boston  and  its  institutions  seemed  to  attract  and  interest  him 
more  than  those  of  his  native  residence,  at  Minster,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  born,  in  1841,  or  of  Cincinnati,  where  he  first  studied 
drawing,  at  St.  Mary's  College.  Here  he  felt  that  art  and  artists 
stood  some  show,  were  recognized  and  fostered  to  some  extent, 
and,  after  a  time,  he  threw  off  his  commercial  yoke,  and  took 
up  the  palette.  He  managed  to  get  a  living  by  his  efforts  in 
pastel  and  oil  paintings ;  but,  being  ambitious,  and  feeling  a 
desire  to  perfect  himself  in  drawing,  he  went  to  Europe  in  1872, 
and.  like  many  of  our  artists  who  were  attracted  by  the  noise 
about  art  in  Munich,  he  first  visited  that  city,  and  began  to 

59 


6o 


JOHN  J.  ENNEKING. 


search  out  for  himself  the  truth  of  the  stories  of  the  greatness  of 
this  school.  He  was  not  long  in  coming  to  the  conclusion  that 
his  temperament  was  not  fitted  to  the  methods  of  the  Munich 
Academy,  that  they  were  not  rich  enough  in  color,  and  were  too 
heavy  and  slow  in  their  style.  He  accordingly  acted  on  this 
impulse  and  went  to  Paris,  where  he  entered  Bonnat's  studio. 
Here  he  worked  hard  for  an  intellectual  training.  He  wanted 
to  draw  and  paint  so  as  to  know  how  to  express  himself,  and 
after  three  winters  Bonnat  told  him  that  he  could  now  "  go 
ahead."  "  You  can  draw  and  paint,"  he  said,  and,  with  patience, 
you  can  paint  any  subject  you  may  select."  Feeling  himself 
secure  in  his  knowledge  of  figure-painting,  he  next  took  up 
landscapes,  and,  under  the  advice  of  Daubigny,  spent  the  greater 
part  of  two  years  at  the  favorite  European  resorts  for  artists,  and 
in  the  galleries,  studying  the  masters. 

Upon  his  return  to  Boston,  he  opened  a  studio  in  the  Law- 
rence Building,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Hyde  Park,  where 
he  ultimately  built  a  studio.  At  present  he  has  a  large  studio 
on  Tremont  Street.  His  first  important  exhibition,  after  his 
return  from  Europe,  occurred  in  April,  1878,  when  he  made 
a  grand  display  of  upward  of  a  hundred  pictures  at  Williams  & 
Everett's  galleries.  The  entire  collection  was  sold  at  auction,  on 
the  2d  and  3d  of  May,  realizing  upward  of  five  thousand  dollars. 
The  highest  price  received  was  for  a  good-sized  cattle  picture, 
which  went  for  six  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

This  exhibition  established  Enneking's  reputation  as  a 
painter,  and  ever  since  he  has  enjoyed  an  even  success.  The 
catalogue  of  his  works  embraced  every  variety  of  subject,  repre- 
senting, "  A  Summer  Afternoon  on  the  Androscoggin,"  "  Coast 
Scene  near  Manchester,  Mass.,"  "  Moonrise  at  Bestrina,  on  the 
Adriatic,"  scenes  in  the  vicinity  of  Hyde  Park,  "The  Ober 
Sea,  Bavaria,"  "Venice  at  Midday,"  "Fruit  and  Flowers,"  "A 


JOHN  J.  EN N EKING.  6i 

Turkish  Beauty ; "  pastures,  cattle,  figures,  and  landscapes,  all 
were  interesting  in  composition  aiul  incident,  and  evidenced  the 
artist's  seriousness  and  thought,  as  well  as  skill  in  making 
pictures. 

Two  years  later  Enneking  gave  another  exhibition  of  his 
works,  wherein  was  shown  a  decided  change  in  his  feelings  and 
methods.  He  had  improved  in  expression,  and  was  able  to 
conve)-  to  the  mind  a  more  poetic  sentiment  and  a  broader 
view  of  nature  ;  especially  was  this  true  in  his  twilights,  which 


appealed  to  the  conscience  like  a  sermon  or  an  elegy,  and  were 
of  a  lasting  character. 

From  this  time,  1880,  to  the  present,  Enneking  has  always 
been  represented  in  the  important  local,  as  well  as  New  York, 
Chicago,  and  Philadelphia  exhibitions,  and  he  has  won  a  reputa- 
tion commensurate  with  his  toil,  and  has  been  recognized  as 
one  of  the  best  art  jurymen  in  Boston. 

Enneking's  art  abounds  with  reveries  and  fancies,  and  is 
never  lacking  in  design.    He  lays  down  the  law  with  knowledge 


62 


JOHN  J.  ENNEKING. 


and  with  theory,  and  sketches  from  nature  with  force  of  eye  and 
mind.  His  sketches  give  us  the  same  impression  which  we 
receive  when  Hstening  to  an  orchestra  at  a  rehearsal ;  we  catch 
here  and  there,  between  the  interruptions  of  the  leader,  bits  of 
melody,  stray  notes  out  of  time,  and  several  bars  of  soft  and 
gentle  instrumentality.  His  finished  pictures,  especially  his 
smaller  canvases,  give  us  the  full  harmony  of  the  orchestra  ;  here 
is  no  halting,  all  is  in  perfect  cadence,  from  the  first  stroke  of 
the  brush  to  the  end,  if  there  is  an  end.  He  feels  that,  however 
far  he  may  push  his  picture,  there  is  still  a  beyond,  a  goal, 
which  he  would  reach,  and,  like  all  true  painters,  when  his  work 
is  finished,  sees  in  it  only  the  hope  and  promise. 

His  small  works  are  as  big  as  his  larger  ones.  I  have  in 
mind  one,  a  Holland  moonlight  effect,  where  the  moon  is  seen 
partly  hidden  by  "the  clouds.  Its  light  glitters  on  the  water 
ripples.  There  are  two  or  three  vessels,  with  their  lights  burn- 
ing dimly,  and  on  the  shore  a  dull  gleam  of  light  comes  from  a 
window  in  a  mill.  The  picture  is  full  of  poetic  feeling  ;  it  is  like 
an  old  master,  rich  in  color,  firm  and  true,  mellow  in  tone,  yet 
airy  and  crisp,  or  active.  You  can  take  it  in  your  lap  and  linger 
over  it,  wondering  how  it  is  painted,  and  never  discovering  it. 
You  will  wish  you  owned  it,  so  that  you  might  live  with  it,  marry 
it  as  it  were.  Here  is  another,  a  twilight ;  we  have  seen  such 
twilights  in  nature  before,  this  is  one  more.  It  is  silent  in  the 
woods,  and  the  lights  seem  to  change  and  shift ;  you  feel  it  will 
be  dark  soon,  and  that  the  day  will  end.  It  is  the  same  twilight 
our  fathers  loved,  a  New  England  twilight.  Oh,  how  like  an 
elegy  !  He  has  solved  the  enigma  here,  surely.  No  less  impres- 
sive are  some  of  his  larger  twilights.  They  suggest  the  natural- 
ness of  his  art  and  nature,  they  bring  us  into  communion  with 
those  things  we  love — men,  women,  children,  good  poetry, 
and  traditions.    When  studying  his  twilights,  real  things  take 


/Ol/X  J.  HXXHK/XG. 


63 


flio-ht;  \vc  feel  only  the  conllaj^^ratit)!!  that  is  illiiminatinj;  the 
night-wrack  of  cloiiils.  This  is  good  art,  self-sustaining  and 
chaste. 

Hnneking  relates  his  impressions  in  color  in  nuicli  the  same 
manner  that  an  enthusiast  narrates  a  stor)  ;  he  cannot  hokl  in 
nor  does  he  leave  any  thing  out,  and  he  certainly  sa)  s  enough. 
In  his  best  work  you  forget  his  knowledge,  and  muse  with  hiin  ; 
that  is,  you  feel  less  of  what  he  has  worked  out  than  what  he 
has  thouHit  out.  We  have  few  artists  in  this  countr\  who  know 
how  to  paint  and  how  to  lea\e  the  "know  how"  out  of  their 
canvases. 

He  paints  the  fresh  green  fields  and  hillsides  and  cattle  and 
the  gray  clouds  with  much  vitality  and  vigor,  and  remintls  you 
of  the  varying  aspects  of  nature  with  a  loving  and  happy  heart. 
In  his  springtime  pictures  there  is  a  boyish  freshness  and  feel- 
ing, something  new,  something  that  is  streaming  on  to  maturity 
with  a  hopefulness  of  convictions  and  impulses.  The  earth  is 
hard  and  strong,  its  ribs  are  covered  with  the  velvet-like  verdure, 
the  foliage  is  bright  and  vital,  and  the  air  sets  his  branches  into 
movement.  The  streams  course  their  way  along  between  the 
river's  banks,  and  seem  to  feel  as  if  their  mission  was  only  to 
carry  the  cloud  shadows  to  some  remote  but  more  extended  sur- 
face, where  they  would  have  room  to  expand.  His  springs  are 
full  of  the  "  candor  of  the  morning,"  his  twilights  silence  fault- 
finding, we  forgive  all  w^hen  the  end  approaches. 

Being  of  a  domestic  nature,  it  is  natural  that  he  should  paint 
children  with  a  fatherly  feeling,  with  an  ideal  love  and  a  sym- 
pathy for  the  innocence  within  them,  and  in  the  accessories 
which  surround  them,  be  they  in  the  open  fields  gathering 
flowers,  or  seated  in  a  richly  furnished  room,  he  is  careful  to 
show  their  characteristics,  never  forgetting  that  they  are  human 
as  well  as  beautiful.    He  manifests  the  same  tenderness  for  the 


64 


JOHN  J.  ENNEKING. 


aged,  and  usually  depicts  them  in  a  good-natured  mood  or  like 
old  people  when  they  are  happy. 

His  pictures  are  valuable  in  the  decorative  sense,  they  tone 
up  a  room  and  keep  the  surroundings  on  the  move.  He  paints 
in  so  many  keys  that  it  is  an  easy  affair  to  select  a  picture  that 
will  fill  a  place,  fill  it  full. 

Enneking  has  a  belief,  it  may  be  styled  a  religion  ;  it  recog- 
nizes the  spiritual  constitution  of  life,  and  seeks  to  reflect  the 
conception  of  his  soul's  ideality.  He  aims  to  paint  types  of 
figures,  of  landscapes,  and  of  clouds,  not  as  reproductions  but 
as  interpretations,  thereby  hiding  the  machinery  and  appealing 
to  the  imagination.  It  can  be  safely  claimed  for  Enneking  that 
he  is  no  imitator ;  his  pictures  are  too  full  of  impressions,  of 
thoughts,  of  the  individual,  to  be  barren  ;  he  may  move  in  society 
with  the  surety  of  being  recognized,  his  pictures  take  rank  in  the 
same  way  in  a  collection.  His  technique,  as  a  prelude  to  his 
thoughts,  carries  him  safely  through ;  it  abounds  with  life,  often 
subtle,  and  easily  passes  current  among  painters.  Like  the 
fastidious  workman,  he  has  his  moods :  the  one  where  he  sees 
and  feels,  as  exampled  in  his  sketches,  the  other  when  he  is  long 
in  seeking  out  the  best,  exampled  in  his  calm,  passionless  studies 
where  all  is  feeling,  and  the  workman  has  ceased  his  labor.  His 
work  is  as  much  in  the  way  of  prophecy  as  history.  It  is  and 
ever  will  be  acceptable. 

Enneking  has  received  several  gold  and  silver  medal  awards 
for  excellence  in  his  art,  and  his  works  may  be  found  in  many 
of  the  best  collections  in  this  country,  A  few  only  of  his 
important  canvases  are  mentioned  in  the  following  list :  — 

"  Moonrise  on  the  Guedecca,  Venice,"  in  the  possession  of 
Alfred  A.  Ordway,  Esq.,  Haverhill,  Mass. ;  "  A  Drove  of  Cat- 
tle," Benj.  Lombard,  Esq.,  Brookline,  Mass.  ;  "  Cloudy  Day  in 
November,"  Amherst  College,  Mass. ;  "  Coming  Storm,"  Mrs, 


JOUX  J.  E.\\\  EKL\G. 


65 


J.  W.  Cantllcr,  Brooklinc,  Mass.  ;  "  A  Cloudy  Day,"  Massachu- 
setts Charitable  Mechanic  Association  ;  "  \ Ork  I'ishermcn." 
Fretl  Johnson,  Esq.,  Auhurndale,  Mass.  ;  "  luenin^,"  Mrs. 
C.  1"^  Cushing,  New  York  City;  "  Liuk?  Bc^ssie,"  portrait, 
Ciovcrnor  Sa\v)er,  Dover,  N.  H.;  "  .Sj)rin<rlinic\"  fissure  picture, 
H.  v..  Hebl)ard,  ICsq.,  Boston  ;  "  Girl  and  Kittens,"  Louis 
Prang.  Roxhury.  Mass. 


EDMUND  II.  GARRIHT. 


Garrett  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1853,  and  when  but 
two  months  old  removed  with  his  parents  to  Boston.  He  grad- 
uated from  the  Roxbury  High  School,  and  soon  after  went  to 
work  with  Russell  &  Richardson,  to  learn  the  engraver's  busi- 
ness. Eight  years  of  experience  with  the  graver,  the  latter  part 
of  which  he  was  his  own  master,  was  his  course  of  preparation 
for  the  profession  he  now  follows.  In  1883  he  visited  Europe 
for  a  year,  in  the  interests  of  a  publisher,  and  in  1886  he  took 
up  his  residence  in  Paris,  where  he  is  engaged  on  work  for  both 
American  and  English  publications.  He  has  illustrated  for  the 
principal  American  magazines,  and  his  drawings  have  appeared 
in  illustrated  editions  of  Longfellow's  poems,  "  Lalla  Rookh," 
"The  Princess,"  "  Marmion,"  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  "Lay  of 
the  Last  Minstrel,"  "Eve  of  St.  Agnes,"  "The  Day-Dream," 
"  Lucille,"  poems  of  T.  B.  Aldrich,  "  Old  Christmas,"  "  Enoch 
Arden,"  "The  Closing  Scene,"  and  many  other  special  publica- 
tions. 

The  strong  personality  evidenced  in  the  works  of  many 
of  our  American  artists  can  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground 
that  they  have  been  uninfluenced  by  any  school,  and  I  mean  by 
this  that  they  have  not  become  trained  performers,  but  have 

67 


68 


EDMUND  H.  GARRETT. 


been  obliged  to  rely  on  their  own  resources,  and  have  given  us 
the  spontaneous,  genuine  originality,  direct  from  their  souls. 
Those  of  our  artists  who  show  strong  personality  either  never 
studied  abroad  or  were  well  advanced  in  their  conceptions  of  art 
before  visiting  Europe,  and  Garrett  had  made  his  reputation 
assured  before  he  studied  with  Jean  Paul  Laurens,  Boulanger, 
Lefebvre,  or  the  lamented  John  B.  Johnston.  Education  or 
artistic  training  is  a  great  aid  to  expression,  so  good  clothes 
convey  a  certain  importance  or  quality  of  appearance  to  the 
wearer ;  but,  after  all,  genius  consists  in  the  ability  to  select  its 
own  garments;  —  they  may  be  homespun,  but  the  genius  is 
there,  all  the  same. 

Garrett  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  self-educated  Ameri- 
can artist  and  painter.  He  understands  life  and  nature,  without 
which  he  could  not  comprehend  art  or  give  us  his  interpreta- 
tions. This  life  and  nature  he  did  not  learn  from  any  academy 
or  any  master,  his  preliminary  training  was  obtained  by  obser- 
vation ;  we  know  the  kind  and  quality  of  his  art,  the  depth  to 
which  his  penetration  has  gone,  and  the  amount  of  soul  there  is 
in  him.  We  know,  too,  the  strength  of  his  character,  the  love 
he  has  for  locality,  for  old  friends  and  domestic  felicity,  and  in 
his  reminiscences  of  his  early  life  we  note  the  tender  affections 
and  the  delights  of  his  spirit.  Garrett  has  always  been  a  great 
reader,  both  of  romance  and  classic  works,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  he  can  picture  and  bring  upon  the  pictorial 
stage  of  life  the  people  whom  others  have  conjured  up,  and 
give  them  faces  with  expressions  equal  to  their  rank  and  condi- 
tions. His  common-sense  view  of  life  is  divested  of  all  non- 
sense and  affectation,  and  his  moderation  and  reserve  count  as 
discipline  without  being  in  the  least  a  cold  element.  He  will 
quietly  study  with  his  author  and  live  the  life  of  the  subjects 
brought  before  him.    He  places  himself  among  the  nine  and 


EDMUND  II.  GARRETT. 


69 


twenty  knights  of  fame  that  hung  their  shields  in  Hranksome 
Hall,  good  kinsmen  all  to  the  bold  Buccleuch,  and  he  drinks  the 
wine  through  the  barred  helmet,  and  joins  in  the  stories  that 
go  the  rounds.  He  is  one  of  the  belated  travellers  at  the 
Wayside  Inn,  and  can  mix  with  the  loungers,  or  he  plays  with 


the  children  and  seems  never  too  old  or  remote  from  their  infan- 
tile joys.  His  patient  observation,  appreciation  of  character, 
and  great  sympathy,  traits  so  much  needed  in  art,  eminently  fit 
him  to  comprehend  the  tasks  set  before  him.  He  is  keen  in  his 
researches,  and  often  finds  errors  in  the  authors,  and,  as  an 


70 


EDMUND  H.  GARRETT. 


instance  of  this  statement,  he  was  at  one  time  looking  up  some 
armor  for  an  old  knight  who  figured  in  the  story  he  was  illus- 
trating, and  discovered  that  the  author  had  given  him  a  weapon 
which  was  not  made  until  at  least  a  century  after  the  knight 
lived.  He  must  make  all  things  sure  before  he  moves  on  ;  he 
settles  all  preliminaries,  and  then,  as  with  the  master  who  strikes 
the  keys,  harmony  must  follow  the  touch. 

Coupled  with  his  intellectual  force  comes  his  original  facility 
in  execution.  His  drawings  show  that  his  pencil,  brush,  or 
burin  moves  apparently  in  a  listless  manner,  not  careless,  but 
with  a  desire  to  show  a  mental  rather  than  manual  energy. 
His  lines  are  like  delicate  tracery ;  they  wind  in  and  out  freely 
and  openly,  and  make  all  things  look  penetrable.  Few  artists 
can  show  a  more  pronounced  or  effective  technique. 

His  characters  are  happy  or  serious,  or  they  are  .  in  anguish  ; 
you  feel  that  the  light  of  an  inner  consciousness  is  awaking 
the  smile  or  the  frown  ;  you  note  also  the  pose  of  his  subjects, 
and  feel  their  unity  with  the  surroundings.  His  Enoch  Arden 
is,  perhaps,  the  best  illustration  of  his  powers,  and  shows  how 
strong  the  human  element  is  in  his  nature.  He  felt  for  Enoch 
in  his  affairs,  played  with  him  as  a  boy,  was  interested  in 
him  as  a  father  and  husband,  and  as  a  castaway  and  one 
forsaken  he  grasped  the  conditions  with  a  brother's  love  and 
sympathy,  yes,  even  more,  he  made  it  possible  that  he  might 
have  been  Enoch,  and  herein  he  shows  great  imagination. 
From  the  beginning  to  the  end  he  makes  the  story  more  inter- 
esting than  we  ever  read  it  before.  We  encounter  the  three 
children,  Philip  Ray,  Annie  Lee,  and  Enoch  Arden,  playing  in 
the  beach  sand  ;  they  are  abandoned  to  their  simple  ways,  and 
are  like  children.  Through  the  incidents  of  their  lives,  so  sad 
and  touching,  he  leads  us  on  until  we  feel  the  kiss,  which  we 
cannot  see  given,  that  Enoch  implants  on  his  wife's  face  when 


EDM  I'M)  //.  (;akki:ti\ 


71 


the  separation  comes.     Then  follow  tin-  troubles  and  trials  of 
Annie,  the  trur  mother  ami  wife,  and  l{noch,  tlu:  bravi*  ship 
wrecked  sailor,  until  thi-  latter  fMiall)'  returns  to  his  nativi-  town, 
ami 

*'  Then  down  the  long  street  having  slowly  stolen, 
His  heart  foreshadowing  all  calamity, 
His  eyes  upon  the  stones,  he  reached  his  home." 

And  then  Enoch  comes  to  the  yew  tree  and  looks  in  upon 

"  His  wife,  his  wife  no  more,  and  saw  the  babe. 
Hers  yet  not  liis,  upon  the  father  s  knee." 

And  now.  "  like  the  blast  of  doom,"  the  happiness  of  the  hearth 
has  shattered  all  his  life. 

I  am  told  by  Professor  Brown,  of  the  Boston  School  of  Ora- 
tory, that  the  pose  which  the  artist  has  given  to  Enoch's  figure 
at  that  moment  is  one  which  he  teaches,  and  which  is  set  down 
by  eminent  dramatic  authorities  as  the  one  which  can  best  depict 
human  anguish.  This  indorsement  of  Garrett's  selection  of 
pose  simp!)'  shows  that  he  possesses  the  power  to  control  the 
inward  feeling,  and  that  he  can  make  the  body  express  the  tre- 
mendous blight  that  has  stricken  the  unfortunate  Enoch. 
There  is  no  delusion,  no  tricker)'  about  his  work  ;  it  is  as  abid- 
ing as  anything  in  life  can  be,  and  \\\\\  always  be  appreciated 
for  its  inspiring  qualities. 

I  have  in  my  possession  a  pencil  drawing  by  Garrett,  which 
shows  an  old  fortune-teller  and  two  lady  visitors  seated  in  a 
little  room.  The  old  woman's  face  depicts  mystery  itself,  while 
she  studies  the  cards  in  her  hand.  One  of  the  ladies  wears  an 
incredulous  expression  on  her  face,  the  other  looks  on  with  a 
half-curious,  half-pitying  gaze.  One  can  easily  detect  the  intel- 
lectual person  in  the  party,  and  the  degrees  of  their  worldly 
conditions  and  associations,  not  by  the  garments  or  pose,  but 


72 


EDMUND  H.  GARRETT. 


by  the  character  which  the  expressions  convey.  There  is  a 
lank  electric  cat  purring  beside  the  conjurer's  chair,  seemingly 
ready  to  jump  into  her  lap  the  moment  the  cards  are  re- 
moved ;  but  the  old  crone  takes  no  notice  of  her  pet,  and  the 
pet  knows  and  feels  it.  The  accessories  are  all  carefully  drawn, 
with  due  regard  for  light  and  shade  or  atmosphere.  What 
Garrett  intended  or  felt  when  he  made  this  drawing  was  mys- 
tery, and  he  certainly  has  filled  the  air  full  of  it. 

His  landscapes  are  all  seriously  drawn,  and  picturesque  in 
composition.  The  relative  strength  of  light,  as  it  gradates  in 
depth,  is  evident  on  the  distant  houses  and  foliage,  and  it  is  of 
a  different  degree  in  the  middle  distance  and  in  the  foreground. 
Here  is  one  that  I  happen  to  have  before  me,  which  is  much 
like  a  Rousseau  in  handling  and  effect.  It  is  a  trifle  more  vig- 
orous, yet  full  of  poetic  feeling. 

There  is  something  in  his  etchings  which  draws  you  closely 
to  nature.  His  plate,  which  might  be  called  "Twilight," 
wherein  the  sun  has  set,  and  there  are  no  clouds  to  give  effect, 
shows  the  shrubs  and  trees  reflecting  their  shadows  in  a  pond. 
Large  trees  stand  on  a  sloping  hillside,  their  branches  sharply 
outlined  against  the  sky.  It  is  no  printer's  etching ;  all  of  the 
lines  are  firmly  drawn  and  bitten,  and  the  foreground  shadows, 
being  near  you,  are  not  so  strong  as  those  in  the  half-distance, 
a  natural  condition  of  the  hour.  How  carefully  he  has  noted 
these  different  effects  of  light,  and  what  an  elegy  he  has  made 
of  this  simple  bit  of  nature  !  Here  is  another  etching,  made  on 
one  of  the  Holland  canals.  He  gives  us  four  or  five  different 
types  of  figures ;  grotesque  objects  they  are,  as  they  waddle 
along,  and  you  can  almost  hear  their  peculiar  jabbering.  The 
architecture  on  the  opposite  bank  is  touched  in  with  few  but 
telling  lines,  and  it  all  looks  and  feels  like  the  place  and  the 
time  of  day.    He  carries  his  liberty  of  feeling  into  his  water- 


EDMi'M^  If.  CARKF.TT. 


73 


colors  from  nature,  showincr  a  first-ratc  idea  of  color,  ami  oood 
disposition  of  his  lights.  In  his  water-color  figures,  which  he 
has  recently  taken  up,  there  is  much  strength  of  drawing  evi- 
dent, also  skill  in  the  management  of  his  colors.  In  this  phase 
of  his  art  he  is  hound  to  make  a  strong  impression  ;  for  his 
knowledge  of  ami  power  to  ili-pict  character  will  aid  him,  and  he 
will  feel  his  way  out  in  color,  as  he  has  in  his  black-and-white 
work,  (iarrett  is  invcniixc;,  is  rationally  religious  enough  to 
illustrate  tht;  Hook  of  Job,  possesses  a  (juiet  liumor,  and,  as  a 
member  of  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club,  is  one  of  the  most  missed 
of  its  members  when  al:)sent. 


IGNAZ  marc{:l  gaugengigl. 


This  accomplished  artist  \vas  born  in  Passaii,  I)a\aria,  i<S55. 
The  town  is  one  of  the  most  interesting-  of  Central  luiroj^e,  is 
the  capital  of  the  circle  of  Lower  Danube,  and  is  located  at  the 
confluence  of  the  Inn  and  Danube  rivers.  It  nestles  in  a  pict- 
uresque defile,  is  traversed  by  three  rixers,  and  bristles  with 
fortresses,  some  of  them  grand  old  piles  ;  here  also  are  several 
cathedrals,  the  old  Abbey  of  St.  Nicholas,  and  numerous  glass 
and  porcelain  manufactories.  The  place  is  full  of  ripe  antiq- 
uities ;  history  and  the  traditions  of  centuries  have  moulded  the 
character  of  this  town,  and  it  was  here  tliat  young  Gaugen- 
gigl received  his  inspirations  and  was  impressed  with  the  love 
of  the  beautiful  and  all  which  goes  to  make  a  man  reverential 
and  serious.  Gaugengigl's  ancestors,  for  many  generations, 
were  soldiers,  save  his  father,  who  took  up  literature  and  became 
a  professor  of  languages.  There  is  no  Cromwellian,  Puritanic 
blood  in  Gaugengigl's  composition,  nor  was  there  any  in  his 

75 


76  IGNAZ  MARCEL  GAUGENGIGL. 

father's  or  mother's  family ;  evidence  of  this  is  plentiful,  and  we 
have  in  proof  the  fact  that  his  parents  were  delighted  when 
they  discovered  that  their  boy  was  artistically  inclined,  and 
his  entire  early  education,  under  his  father,  was  devoted  to 
studies  and  influences  which  would  benefit  him  in  his  future 
career.  He  was  scarce  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  graduated 
from  the  gymnasium  in  Munich,  under  Professor  Raab  ;  later 
he  took  up  his  studies  in  the  studio  of  Prof.  Wm.  Diez,  and 
at  twenty-two  he  was  painting  portraits  after  the  manner  of 
Coques.  His  works  attracted  the  attention  of  the  King  of 
Bavaria,  who  encouraged  him,  and  gave  him  his  first  commission 
in  genre  painting,  which  resulted  in  a  fine  picture  representing 
the  "  Hanging  Gardens  of  Semiramis,"  which  now  hangs  in  the 
royal  palace. 

With  a  desire  to  see  the  world  and  note  the  methods  of  the 
various  schools,  he  visited  Italy,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1878, 
when  the  attention  of  the  world  was  directed  toward  the  exposi- 
tion in  Paris,  he  drifted  with  the  tide  of  pilgrims  and  sight-seers 
to  that  city,  where,  after  several  months  of  study  among  the 
master  works  in  the  Louvre  and  Luxembourg  and  in  the  studios, 
he  came  to  this  country. 

Ten  years  ago  he  set  up  his  easel  in  Studio  Building,  where 
he  has  continued  in  his  work  uninterrupted  ever  since,  save  by 
several  visits  to  his  home  in  Germany,  in  the  summer.  Gaugen- 
gigl  has  exerted  an  influence  during  his  years  among  us,  not 
only  in  his  painting,  but  in  his  social  proclivities  as  well. 

He  who  has  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Gaugengigl  in  the 
morning,  and  receiving  from  him  a  courteous  salutation,  will  not 
forget  the  earnest  and  kindly  greeting ;  it  lasts  all  day  and  fits 
one  for  business  and  contact  with  the  morose  and  cold  world. 
At  the  clubs  his  advent  is  sure  to  give  a  genuine  impulse  to  the 
unity  of  the  circle.    Such  ecstatic  politeness,  so  unassumed,  is  as 


IGXAZ  MARCEL  GAl'GHXG/GL. 


77 


welcome  as  it  is  rari'  in  these  gray  okl  streets  of  ours,  (  iau- 
gengitjl  has  maile  many  a  sad  face  hghi  u|)  with  pleasure  h)-  his 
kiiul,  sweet  manners,  ami  who  knows  but  at  the  time  his  lu  art 
might  have  been  depressed  with  some  sorrow  ?  This  buoyant 
and  tender  spirit,  this  earnest  discijjle  of  the  social  arts,  so  care- 
ful in  his  motles  ami  elegant  carriage,  so  charming  in  his  graces 
of  speech  ami  figure,  is  ever\-  inch  a  man.  He  is  as  sincere  in 
his  art  of  painting  as  he  is  in  the  .social  encounter ;  in  fact,  the 


soulful  character  of  his  everyday  life  naturally  leads  one  to  a 
cheerful  consideration  of  his  interpretations  and  inspirations. 
Truly  he  has  a  hearty  way  and  a  robustness  of  style,  albeit  he 
may  show  it  in  a  smaller  space  than  most  painters,  who  may 
spread  themselves  over  many  feet  of  canvas  and  do  not  obtain 
gjreater  results  than  he,  who  can,  without  crowding,  tell  a  charm- 
ing story  on  a  tiny  panel.  Some  men  need  room  for  their  arms, 
while  some  require  space  for  their  imagination  ;  the  latter  can 


78 


IGNAZ  MARCEL  GAUGENGIGL. 


usually  stow  away  their  ideas  in  a  compact  manner,  while  the 
muscular  artist  lets  go  his  whole  weight  and  the  noise  with  it, 
and  it  is  all  discernible.  Gaugengigl,  even  in  his  merry  Cupid 
panel  over  the  stage  of  the  Boston  Museum,  a  highly  decorative 
and  interesting  piece  of  color  and  drawing,  does  not  lose  his 
originality  and  inventive  character,  nor  his  style  or  strength  in 
expression.  He  displays  the  same  refined  humorous  spirit  one 
often  detects  in  his  easel  pictures,  and,  though  the  triumphal 
procession,  as  it  bears  its  rosy  burdens  and  disports  its  jolly 
anatomy,  be  a  distemper  effect,  it  is  none  the  less  a  strong,  vivid 
example  of  the  breadth  of  the  artist's  mind  and  his  facility  of  ex- 
ecution. Gaugengigl  is  well  equipped  with  the  requisite  train- 
ing and  faculty  to  successfully  express  his  thoughts  in  genre  art. 
Like  Thoreau,  his  art  is  one  of  intimacy  with  precious  facts. 
The  naturalistic  genius  of  the  fields,  who  knew  the  time  of  day 
by  the  condition  of  the  flowers,  and  could  tell  you  something 
you  never  dreamed  of  about  the  snowflakes,  is  equalled  in 
another  phase  of  art  by  this  genius  of  the  pigments.  Both,  in 
their  distinctive  works,  transcend  the  real  and  commonplace  ; 
both  are  admired  by  the  discerning  lovers  of  true  art,  and  even 
the  ultra-adherents  of  detail  and  completeness  are  forced  to  re- 
spect not  only  the  intellectuality  of  these  masters,  but  their 
methods  and  results  as  well. 

Says  an  able  critic  on  Gaugengigl:  "We  like  to  compare  a 
favorite  painter's  pictures  with  those  of  the  great  masters  of  the 
art,  but  comparisons  of  this  nature  are  not  less  tempting  than 
perilous  ;  they  are  as  liable  to  do  injustice  to  the  originality  and 
quality  of  the  performance  we  would  praise  as  they  are  to  over- 
step the  bounds  of  truth  and  modesty.  It  is,  therefore,  as  inex- 
pedient to  call  Mr.  Gaugengigl  the  '  Meissonier  of  America ' 
as  it  is  to  name  Colorado  the  '  Switzerland  of  America,'  or 
Boston  the  '  Athens  of  America.'    In  certain  respects  there 


n,.\.u  MAKCiij.  (:.iri,j:.\(;/(;L. 


79 


arc  j^Dixl  reasons  for  pri'lcrriiij^  Colorailo  to  Switzerland,  aiul 
Boston  lo  Athens,  ami  in  all  respects  it  is  certainl)'  wiser  ami 
better  to  let  our  own  scenery,  social  system,  art.  ami  institutions 
staml  on  thrir  own  merits." 

1  would  not  compare  Meissonier  to  ( iaui^enL,n<;l,  or  vice 
versa,  except  in  a  j^eneral  way  ;  ccrlainl)'  ilicir  art  is  not  the 
same.  tlK)utrh  it  may  he  j^enre  art.  I'ettenkofen,  Mar^uc',  and 
DominiLjo  all  tlitier  in  techni(iuc.  yet  it  is  all  ^ood  techni(iuc, 
ami  in  the  same  sense  wc  Imd  (-(luall)  Inu:  iechni(iuc;  in  ihv. 
embroiileries  iVom  the  cloister,  the  hand-tooled  leather  of  the 
Moors,  the  enamel  lettering  in  the  parchment  missal,  the  in- 
cised Ivor)" ;  and  there  arc  the  relative  arts  of  the  Japanese,  who 
teach  us  relifrious  technique;  —  all  are  exquisite  workmen, 
patient  and  skilful  in  their  wonderful  manipulations.  Is  excel- 
lence of  technique  all  of  art?  It  goes  far  in  showing  the  finer 
instincts  of  nature,  even  though  it  be  literal ;  and  the  better 
the  technique,  the  better  are  the  soul's  convictions  expressed. 
All  of  the  masters  spoken  of  have  their  own  manners  and 
inspirations,  each  charms  )  ou  w  ith  his  s])ccial  loveliness ;  the 
tea-rose,  the  Jacqueminot,  and  the  violet  are  to  be  considered, 
not  which  is  the  most  fragrant  or  beautiful,  but  each  for  its 
special  glor)-. 

Gaugengigl  paints  correctly  the  costumes  and  furniture  of 
the  periods  in  which  his  subjects  lived.  He  goes  further :  he 
animates  the  costumes  w^ith  the  life  that  is  in  the  anatomy 
beneath  them  ;  his  paid  model  stands  to  his  imagination  as  a 
king  or  courtier,  and  as  such  he  mov€s  gracefully,  if  it  is  his 
temperament,  rudely  if  he  is  enraged,  and  the  costume  takes 
on  the  spirituality  of  its  wearer ;  so  do  all  the  accessories ;  the 
"  Incredulous  Listener,"  a  last-century  Frenchman,  in  a  red  coat, 
in  one  of  his  pictures,  shows  it  in  his  doubting  face  and  aban- 
doned pose,  his  careless,  wrinkled  waistcoat,  and  equally  in  his 


8o 


IGNAZ  MARCEL  GAUGENGIGL. 


chapeau  cocked  stubbornly  on  his  knee.  The  man  in  the  red 
coat  who  is  trying  to  convince  his  friend  is  all  force  in  pose, 
and  the  garments,  of  course,  are  full  of  convincing  lines  and 
action.  Here  is  the  draughtsman  and  the  poet,  humorous, 
maybe,  yet  delicate  and  fine.  He  has  painted  the  thoughts 
of  these  two  men,  and  all  else  that  is  needed  to  complete  the 
picture.  His  native  impulse,  self-reliance,  culture,  and  inventive 
faculties  are  evident  in  every  task  he  sets  out  to  perform.  He 
never  repeats  himself  in  subject,  for  we  can  call  up  the  charac- 
ters he  has  portrayed,  as  distinctly  as  some  well  known  friend 
or  a  companion  of  an  evening.  Here  is  "  The  Painter,"  seated, 
two-thirds  back  view.  He  is  gazing  at  the  canvas  on  an  easel ; 
it  seems  as  if  one  might  ask  him  how  he  liked  it,  and  that  he 
would  respond  by  turning  his  head  and  smiling.  The  earnest- 
ness of  gaze  shows  how  absorbed  he  is  in  the  half-completed 
sketch.  Gaugengigl  has  coupled  mind  and  matter  in  this 
work  exceedingly  well.  Here  are  the  two  courtly  gentlemen 
in  the  grand  old  panelled  room.  They  have  looked  over  a 
map,  and  "The  Field  of  Battle"  is  under  discussion.  One  is 
still  perusing  the  map,  the  other  has  thrown  his  chair  to  the 
floor,  and  stands  defiantly  fixed  and  immovable  near  the  open 
fireplace.  Wood  is  wood  in  this  picture,  so  is  tapestry  tapestry ; 
fabrics  are  like  the  original,  and  a  conscious  brain  seems  to 
give  expression  to  the  faces.  As  in  all  of  Gaugengigl's  works, 
there  is  a  soft  and  gentle  atmosphere  in  and  about  everything. 
We  can  see  the  young  monk  absorbed  in  the  harmony  he  is 
making  on  his  violoncello  ;  see  his  face  as  he  looks  up  to  his 
score,  and  note  the  "Adagio"  in  his  countenance.  What  splen- 
did results,  what  splendid  art  is  this  !  It  is  full  of  good  color 
contrasts  and  gentle  gradations  of  color  drawing,  in  light  and 
shade. 

"  L'Affaire  d'Honneur,"  with  swords,  is  another  well  known 


Si 


work  1)\  this  artist.  It  is  diu-  oI  llu-  old  sort  ;  soiiu-  knul  or  love 
afiair  has  hct-ii  settled  in  the  carl)  inornini^.  1)\  the  seashore  ; 
the  one  is  taken  and  the  othi-r  is  left.  i  his  is  really  a  wonder- 
ful canvas,  one  of  his  nuist  ilramatic  in  its  action,  and  is  beauti- 
ful in  its  lantlscajje  aiul  effects  of  the  early  hour  antl  mastery  in 
conception,  j^roiipin*;.  antl  directness.  There  is  a  traijedy  and  a 
inatinal  symphon)-  i.joini;-  on  at  the  same  instant ;  truly  a  wide 
contrast,  ami  yet  all  seems  possible.  "  l.'ne  Pelilt?  Repri- 
mantle  "  and  "  Hellissima  "  show  that  he  can  paint  the  opposite 
sex  in  the  most  ravishint^  style  of  beauty  and  spirit.  It  would 
l)e  tlifficult  to  pick  out  his  best  works  ;  they  all  possess  an  inter- 
est equally  fascinating-.  There  is  his  "  Unc;  Question  Difficile," 
a  companion  in  st\le  to  his  "The  Story."  Both  are  su[)erb  in 
handling  and  grouping,  ami  all-sufficient  in  spiritualit)-,  text- 
ures, repose,  and  naturalness.  In  "  The  I'irst  Hearing,"  a 
young  musician  is  surrounded  b)'  a  select  company  of  gentle- 
men in  the  costumes  of  the  Directory.  He  is  rendering  some 
interesting  piece  of  x  iolin  music,  and,  judging  from  the  atten- 
tion of  his  listeners,  lie  is  scoring  a  success.  You  will  delight 
in  the  delicate  feeling  and  charming  insight  of  the  artist's  crea- 
tion, and  enter  into  the  spirit  ot  his  marvellously  told  story. 

Gaugengigl's  work  is  full  of  distinguished  individuality, 
gentle  and  genuine,  and  is  filled  with  that  attribute  which  can- 
not be  acquired  —  intuition.  He  has  shown  his  power  in  all 
phases  of  the  emotions;  he  has  pictured  the  shore  "After  the 
Storm,"  where  the  angry  waters  are  still  restless,  and  the  great 
solid  rocks  look  sullen  and  in  despair  of  ever  again  being 
bathed  with  pure  simlight ;  he  has  given  us  the  most  dainty 
middle  tones,  the  most  delightful  sheen  of  the  fabrics,  the 
effects  of  lights,  exterior  and  interior,  and  introduced  us  to 
many  agreeable  gentlemen,  who  will  abide  in  our  memories  as 
long  as  we  live. 


82 


IGNAZ  MARCEL  GAUGENGIGL. 


Gaugengigl  has  been  a  grand  success  in  art,  and  in  his 
influence  over  art.  Have  his  fine  instincts  been  appreciated  in 
this  land  of  trade  and  pohtics,  trust  companies  and  utiHtarian 
habitudes  ?  Our  self-reHant  connoisseurs  are  few,  and  good  art 
often  suffers  for  want  of  patronage. 

With  those  mentioned,  the  following  make  a  complete  list 
of  his  works  :  — 

"The  Musician;"  "The  Philosopher;"  "Reading;"  "The 
Student ;"  "  How  do  you  do  ?"  "  Mischief ;  "  "  Small  Audience  ;" 
"The  Troubadour;"  "The  Year;"  "Stirrup  Cup;"  "Going 
Out ;  "  "  The  Pets  ;  "  "  One  of  the  Committee  of  Public  Safety  ;  " 
"  Siesta  ;  "  "  His  Hobby  ;  "  "  Idylle  ;  "  "A  Studio  ;  "  "  The  Sur- 
prise ;  "  "  Le  Refugie  ;  "  "An  Affair  of  Honor;"  "The  Child 
is  Father  of  the  Man  ;  "  "  The  Amateur  ;  "  "  Quiet  Afternoon  ;  " 
"And  Drive  Dull  Care  Away;"  "Revenge;"  "  Egalite ; " 
"  In  the  Promenade  ;  "  "  Le  Choix  Force  ;  "  "  The  Story  ;  "  "  The 
Only  Way  ;  "  "  The  Cavalier  ;  "  "  The  Art  Lover  ;  "  "  His  Boy's 
Boy;  "  "  Un  Patriote  Elegant." 


ABiiorr  (iUA\  i:s. 


A  VISIT  to  the  studio  when  the  artist  sits  down  after  a  day's 
toil  over  his  easel,  and  watches  the  effect  of  the  fading  light 
upon  his  picture,  and  notes  its  strength  or  weakness  of  light 
or  shade,  is  usually  the  most  interesting  event  of  the  day,  and 
the  time  to  catch  the  artist  in  a  talking  mood.  At  such  a  time? 
one  may  hear  the  art  events  of  the  day,  or  reminiscent  art,  dis- 
cussed with  much  intelligence.  It  was  at  one  of  these  "  gloam- 
ings "  that  I  first  heard  tlic  name  of  Graves  mentioned  and  his 
works  discussed.  One  of  his  flower  pictures,  the  first  of  imj)or- 
tance  that  he  had  shown,  was  then  on  exhibition  at  the  Art 
Club,  and  it  had  attracted  the  attention  of  tlie  colorists  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  was  one  of  the  themes  of  studio  conversation. 
All  agreed  that  it  was  more  than  clever,  that  it  was  "  full  of  go," 
and  that  Graves  was  "  sure  to  come  up."  The  prophecy  has 
been  realized ;  the  artist  and  his  works  are  well  known,  and  both 
alike  are  popular. 

Several  years  after,  at  another  of  these  studio  twilight  sit- 
tings, remarks  were  made  concerning  another  picture  Graves 
had  on  exhibition.  "  What  makes  Graves  con.spicuous  is  his 
loyalty  to  his  friends  and  his  art,"  said  one  artist,  and  in  re- 

83 


84 


ABBOTT  GRAVES. 


sponse  to  this  came  remarks  to  the  effect  that  Graves,  though 
hnpetuous,  was  earnest  and  honest  in  his  convictions,  and  that 
he  was  eminently  decorative  in  color,  and  comprehended  his  art 
and  the  nature  of  flowers  ;  an  indorsement  which  all  who  know 
the  artist  and  his  work  will  readily  agree  to. 

Graves,  though  a  young  man,  has  had  a  considerable  experi- 
ence in  life,  and  has  won  his  way,  accompanied  by  the  usual 
hard  knocks  one  receives  when  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
at  an  early  age.  He  was  born  at  Weymouth,  Mass.,  in  1859, 
and  is  of  Puritan  and  French  Huguenot  descent.  His  first  at- 
tempt at  painting  dates  back  to  his  tenth  year,  when  he  bought 
three  colors  of  Frank  W.  Rogers,  the  dog-painter,  who  was  a 
schoolmate  of  Graves'  at  the  time,  in  Hingham,  and  with  these 
colors  he  painted  a  portrait  of  the  family  dog.  At  sixteen, 
young  Graves  was  obliged  to  leave  school  and  seek  his  own 
living,  and  by  instinct  drifted  toward  a  greenhouse.  In  this 
congenial  employment  he  was  engaged  for  several  years, 
learning  the  business  of  flower  growing  and  sowing  in  every 
capacity,  from  the  carrying  of  a  "  dozen  board "  to  making 
bouquets,  and  travelling  for  the  firm.  His  great  forte  was  in  the 
decoration  of  houses  for  weddings,  where  he  could  handle  flow- 
ers by  the  bushel,  and  in  this  large  way  of  doing  things  Graves 
made  an  enviable  reputation.  At  every  available  moment  he 
was  at  work  in  his  room,  painting  flowers,  and  his  ambition  to 
be  an  artist  was  paramount  to  all  other  desires  in  life.  Imbued 
with  this  feeling,  he  opened  a  studio  in  Studio  Building,  when 
there  seemed  to  be  little  prospect  for  him  to  be  able  to  pay  his 
first  month's  rent,  but  at  the  end  of  two  months  he  was  square 
with  the  world,  and  has  been  enabled  to  keep  so  ever  since. 
His  first  friend  and  patron  in  the  arts  was  Mr.  Samuel  Adams 
Drake,  the  historian,  to  whom  Graves  is  indebted  for  many 
kind  words  and  other  substantial  encouragement,  and  later  on 


ABBOTT  i.KAlTiS. 


85 


hf  touml  a  warm  iVifiuI  in  Mr.  Lt)iiis  Aklrich,  whose  Ijcautiiul 
daughtt-r  In-  ullimatcl\-  inarricil. 

Ciraves  contributed  reijularK  to  the  i-xhihitions  in  tliis  city 
and  New  \'ork,  and  after  a  time  was  stronj^  enouj^h  to  become 
a  member  of  the  Boston  Art  Chil)  and  Paint  and  Clay  Ckib,  and 
in  1SS4  went  to  Paris,  where  he  stiulietl  iindiT  (jcorijes  Jeannin, 
ilie  lamous  flower-painter,  and  later  on  visited  \  enice,  where 
he  painted  his  large  canvas,  "  The  Flowers  of  X^enice,"  which 
secured  for  him  a  permanent  place  among  the  strong  painters  of 
our  city.    After  a  year's  absence  abroad,  he  returned  to  Boston, 


and  when  the  Cowles  Art  School  was  established  became  an 
instructor  in  the  still-life  and  flower-painting  class,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  with,  much  distinction  until  his  departure  for  Eu- 
rope in  1887. 

Up  to  this  date  there  were  several  incidents  which  happened 
in  his  art  career,  which  showed  an  independent  spirit,  and  con- 
spicuous among  them  was  one  wherein  he  refused  to  liave  his 
picture  hung  over  a  door  at  the  annual  exhibition  of  the  Art 
Club  in  1886.  Feeling  that  he  could  not  get  the  satisfaction  he 
wanted,  before  the  exhibition  opened,  he  removed  the  picture 


86 


ABBOTT  GRAVES. 


from  its  frame.  There  was  considerable  talk  made  over  this 
action,  and  the  writer  feels  that  time  has  smoothed  the  matter 
over  and  proved  that  Graves  was  not  so  much  in  error  as  some 
supposed  he  was  at  the  time. 

Graves'  pictures  recommend  themselves  to  every  lover  of 
flowers ;  nor  can  he  fail  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  decorator,  for  his 
colors  are  well  arranged  and  look  natural,  and  he  possesses  a 
faculty  of  placing  great  masses  of  color  on  a  canvas  without  caus- 
ing vagueness;  —  this  is  a  strong  feature  in  Graves'  mechanism. 
"The  Flowers  of  Venice  "  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  point  in 
question.  In  it  there  is  a  gondola  filled  with  the  brilliant  tones 
of  the  peonies  and  other  rich-hued  flowers,  also  pot  plants  in 
great  profusion,  and  one  cannot  but  feel  charmed  with  the 
beautiful  display,  if  he  cares  the  least  for  color  masses.  There 
is  no  confusion  nor  fixedness  in  the  grouping,  the  accents  of 
light  and  the  shadows  are  not  spotty,  and  the  breadth  and  grasp, 
while  being  vigorous  and  real,  are  not  of  an  imitative  nature. 
One  feels,  without  exaggerating  the  imagination,  that  the  breath 
of  the  flowers  still  lingers  over  the  wealth  of  their  colors,  and 
one  becomes  happy  in  the  presence  of  the  .work.  There  is 
much  of  Graves'  enthusiasm  evident  on  the  canvas,  a  youthful 
buoyancy  of  disposition  ;  and  this  fresh  and  quickening  senti- 
ment is  a  healthy  adjunct,  noticeable  in  all  of  his  works. 

Graves  models  the  flowers  in  color  with  a  knowledge  of  their 
lightness  and  with  a  delicate  sense  of  their  tenderness;  he 
draws  with  the  pencil  the  anatomy  of  the  leaf  and  petal  by 
graceful  touches,  and  an  instinctive  love  which  the  born  botanist 
recognizes  and  appreciates.  Even  in  these  delicate  pencil  lines 
there  is  a  decision  and  firmness  as  well  as  freedom,  and  in  his 
color  work  the  tones  are  true  and  just,  not  severe.  Graves 
possesses  some  science;  but  his  sensitive  observation  and  rapid 
translation  supplant  even  the  knowledge  of  how  the  thing  is 


ABBOTT  GRAVES. 


87 


tlone  ;  thus  his  works  show  the  impersonal  in  tlcsigii  and  indi- 
\  iihiahi\-  in  execution. 

There  is  no  secret  in  his  art,  it  is  frank  and  o|ien,  and  the 
nature  anil  species  of  the  (lowers  are  always  well  portrayed. 
In  composition  Graves  is  always  agreeable  and  original,  and  is 
e(|ually  at  home  on  a  large  or  small  canvas.  His  "  Chrysanthe- 
mum vShow,"  taken  from  an  exhibit  in  Horticultural  1  lall,  is  an 
interesting  picture,  and,  while  the  original  show  might  have  im- 
pressed the  visitor  as  being  rather  massive  and  weight)'  in  color, 
Graves  seems  to  have  absorbed  the;  immense  llood  of  subtle 
colors  without  monoton)-  in  its  treatment,  and  with  a  tender  sen- 
timent and  affection.  There  is  something  palpable  aiul  sub- 
stantial in  his  picture  owned  by  the  Boston  Art  Club,  and  in 
this  work  the  composition  is  so  well  balanced  and  lighted  that 
the  eyes  may  repose  with  a  pleasurable  sensation  on  any  i)art 
of  the  canvas,  especially  on  the  centre  of  the  huge  bouquet. 

None  of  Graves'  pictures  are  what  is  termed  "  effective,"  they 
are  not  real  enough  for  that  appellation  ;  they  are  brilliant,  dec- 
orative, and  kept  w-ell  within  themselves,  always  consistent  and 
never  over-accented.  You  feel  that  they  are  impulsive,  in  the 
sense  that  they  are  unconscious  interpretations ;  that  is,  as  if  the 
child  had  shouted,  "  See  the  splendid  colors  of  the  bouquet,"  and 
exultantly  seized  his  palette  and  painted  into  his  work  the  ex- 
pression as  well  as  the  bouquet. 

Graves  lacks  preciseness,  and  his  temperament  is  better  off 
without  it.  If  he  possessed  it  he  would  be  finical.  His  pencil 
drawings  show^  wonderful  knowledge  of  detail ;  it  seems  as  if  his 
eyes  rested  on  the  rose  and  his  drawing  simultaneously,  so  cor- 
rect is  every  part;  but  his  feeling  of  colors  is  so  strong  that  he 
loses  this  correctness  and  grives  us  the  life  of  the  rose,  while  his 
precision  of  drawing  apparently  slumbers. 

Flowers  possess  a  religious  life  within  them ;  they  seem  to 


88 


ABBOTT  GRAVES. 


be  like  poetry,  full  of  gentle  and  polite  character ;  they  are  the 
delicate,  sensitive  children  of  earth,  "  innocence's  emblems,"  and 
it  seems  out  of  place  to  classify  them  with  fruits,  dead  game,  nuts, 
and  bric-a-brac,  under  the  head  of  "  still-life."  Can  a  painted  brass 
pan,  a  dead  fish  or  duck,  an  orange,  or  bird's  plumage  convey  to 
the  heart  such  delights  as  a  beautifully  painted  mass  of  flowers  ? 

Flowers  as  Graves  paints  them  are  not  still-life  studies  ;  they 
seem  to  possess  movement  and  vitality ;  they  are  ever  smiling, 
have  a  language  of  their  own,  and  are  always  companionable.  , 

His  "  Cherries,"  shown  at  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club  exhibition 
in  1888,  are  juicy  and  like  the  fruit,  or  like  the  taste  and  fruit  as 
we  remember  it.  He  shows  in  the  textures  that  there  is  a  dif- 
ference, in  the  material,  between  the  cherries  and  the  willow 
basket  which  holds  them,  and  still  another  substance  in  a  green 
jug  near  by.  Here  is  green,  brown,  and  red,  and  a  rich  back- 
ground of  subdued  monochrome  hue ;  all  are  strong  as  frag- 
ments, and  together  are  in  harmony. 

Among  Graves'  most  important  paintings  are  the  following : 
"  Flowers  of  Venice,"  Southern  Hotel,  St.  Louis  ;  "  Chrysanthe- 
mum Show,"  owned  by  Mr.  John  Shepard,  of  Boston  ;  "  Peo- 
nies," in  the  Boston  Art  Club  collection ;  "  Grandmother's 
Window,"  owned  by  Miss  Niles,  of  Beacon  Street,  Boston. 


In  a  general  exhibition  of  pictures,  a  first-rate  marine  attracts 
about  as  much  attention  as  any  other  subject.  The  avera<re 
visitor  will  study  the  waves,  look  with  wondering  eyes  upon  the 
ships,  and  feel  impressed  with  the  life  that  animates  the  canvas ; 
and  the  reason  for  this  feeling  is  that  they  are  not  familiar  with 
the  sea.  and  that  they  are  drawn  toward  the  representation  on 
account  of  the  mystery  connected  with  the  life  of  the  mariner. 
Marine  pictures  are  also  inclined  to  be  decorative,  and  are,  when 
fairly  painted,  the  first  to  catch  the  eye  upon  entering  the  gal- 
lery' :  this  is  a  special  feature  of  Halsall's  works,  and,  aside  from 
the  experience  which  he  paints,  his  canvases  invariably  attract 
attention  on  account  of  the  effects  attained  in  line  and  form,  as 
well  as  stronor  contrasts  of  color. 

o 

Then  comes  the  charm  of  his  story,  which  demands  your  re- 
spect and  absorbs  your  thoughts,  and,  like  all  stor^'-tellers  of 
any  force  or  character,  he  gives  you  facts  and  a  knowledge 
which  is  only  gained  by  absolute  experience.  Halsall  has  been 
over  the  ground,  or,  one  may  say,  sea,  and  is  well  fortified  with 

89 


90 


WILLIAM  F.  HALS  ALL. 


details  to  make  his  story  interesting.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
earnest  painters  we  have  among  us,  and  was  a  born  sailor,  and 
in  his  earliest  youth  hankered  for  the  sea  as  the  girls  do  for 
their  dolls. 

When  but  an  aproned  child  he  would  wander  away  from  his 
home  down  to  the  docks  at  Portsmouth  and  play  about  among 
the  ships  until  he  got  to  be  a  favorite  with  the  old  salts,  and  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  his  infant  mind  matured  rapidly, 
for  at  the  age  of  ten  he  ran  away  from  home,  shipping  at  Ports- 
mouth as  cabin  boy  on  the  Ocean  Rover,  bound  for  the  East 
Indies.  When  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  had  become  second 
mate  of  his  ship,  and  had  sailed  to  many  European  ports  and 
had  visited  Australia  and  the  African  coast. 

It  would  seem  from  the  foregoing  events  that  young  Halsall 
was  not  of  a  very  artistic  temperament,  but  incidents  happening 
during  his  six  years'  sailor  life  prove  that  a  latent  spirit  for  art 
was  in  him,  for  if  we  look  back  we  will  discover  him  hard  at 
work,  doing  a  great  part  of  the  ship's  painting.  It  was  he  of  all 
the  crew  who  set  the  color  for  the  cask  hoops  and  took  great 
pride  in  applying  the  black  paint  around  the  gilded  name  of  the 
Rover.  These  are  trifling  innuendoes,  to  be  sure,  but,  coupled 
with  the  lettering  and  attempts  at  drawing,  and  his  inclination 
while  abroad  to  visit  picture  galleries,  all  go  to  show  the  bent  of 
his  mind,  though  yet  unconscious  of  his  future  career. 

When  I  first  knew  him,  in  i860,  he  had  given  up  following 
the  sea  and  was  hard  at  work,  side  by  side  with  W.  E.  Norton, 
the  marine  artist,  at  Mr.  Christopher  Needham's  shop  on  Wash- 
ington Street,  as  a  fresco  painter.  Here  he  discovered  his 
passion  for  art,  and,  with  the  same  ardor  which  prompted  his 
ventures  as  a  mariner,  he  plunged  into  the  details  and  rudi- 
ments of  art,  and  might  have  been  seen  any  night  at  the  Lowell 
Institute,  with  Norton,  Mark  Fisher,  Martin  Millmore,  Moses 


lVILIJA.]f  F.  J/ALSALL.  9. 

Wirjht.  Bierstadt.  and  others,  studyinj^  the  mysteries  of  black 
and  white,  and  keeping  even  w  ith  his  fellows.  I  low  man)'  hours 
of  overwork  at  the  shop  he  has  performed  in  ortler  to  see  the 
Allston  Club  exhibitions  by  daylight,  and  how  many  depriva- 
tions he  has  imdergone  to  attain  his  ends  in  art,  cannot  easily 
be  reckoned ;  but  it  is  safe  to  state  that  his  struggU.'s  were  of  the 
old  and  familiar  sort,  and  were  perhaps  essential  to  his  ultimate 
success.    Doubtless,  he  woukl  have  continued  his  work  at  tin: 


institute,  and,  like  his  companions,  opened  a  studio,  but,  with  a 
patriotic  impulse,  he  entered  the  United  States  nav)'  and 
served  with  distinction  in  the  North  Carolina  blockading  squad- 
ron. After  his  discharge  he  opened  a  sign-painting  shop  on 
Broad  Street,  and  during  his  spare  moments  practised  his  art, 
and  became  well  known  to  yachtsmen  as  a  yacht-portrait  painter 
some  time  before  he  gave  up  his  regular  business  and  opened  a 
studio. 


92 


WILLIAM  F.  HAL  SAIL. 


Uninfluenced  by  any  school,  save  in  a  general  way,  from  the 
inspiration  any  painter  receives  in  studying  fine  pictures,  and 
being  a  devout  lover  of  nature,  he  set  at  work  with  vigor  and 
earnestness  to  realize  his  ambitions  in  his  chosen  profession. 
Nothing  can  be  more  interesting  in  human  affairs  than  to  follow 
the  progress  of  any  worthy  man  who,  step  by  step,  carves  his 
way  to  success,  and  I  know  of  no  man  who  has  won  a  better 
place  and  name  among  the  artists  of  this  country  than  Hal- 
sail.  The  mere  painting  of  yachts  did  not  seem  to  reach 
Halsall's  aspirations;  there  was  more  than  this  for  him  to  per- 
form, to  realize  his  highest  dreams.  Being  a  great  reader,  he 
had  developed  a  sentiment  for  the  historical  character  of  marine 
architecture  and  incident,  and  his  researches  for  a  good  subject 
were  rewarded  by  the  production  of  his  first  really  important 
picture,  the  "Arrival  of  the  Winthrop  Colony,"  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Joseph  T.  Bailey,  of  Boston.  This  work  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  public,  and  he  followed  up  his  success  soon  after 
with  the  "Mayflower,"  now  the  property  of  the  society  at 
Plymouth.  Then  came  his  heroic  canvas,  "The  Fight  between 
the  Monitor  and  Merrimac,"  which  now  hangs  in  the  Senate 
wing  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  and  his  last  achieve- 
ment was  the  historical  picture  of  the  famous  yacht  Vol- 
unteer. 

In  all  of  his  works  three  attributes  are  noticeable  :  the  serious 
student,  an  artistic  insight,  and  application  ;  by  these  he  has 
attained  a  remarkable  success,  and  the  world  is  familiar  with  his 
pictures  by  the  aid  of  the  reproductive  processes. 

Halsall  divides  his  time  about  equally  between  his  studio 
and  nature  ;  indeed,  he  may  as  often  be  found  on  the  pilot  boats, 
sailing  in  the  placid  summer  sea,  and  in  midwinter  scudding 
before  the  gale,  as  in  his  studio  ;  in  fact,  he  feels  it  a  duty  as 
well  as  a  love  to  paint  from  nature,  especially  so  when  his  ele- 


UVL/./.LV  F.  HALSALL. 


93 


ment,  the  water,  is  of  such  a  iiansiiorj'  and  ever  chansrinjr  char- 
acter, l  luis  it  is  that  his  crreat  waves  art-  made  to  appear  so 
full  of  restless  ant!  luinultuous  force,  and  his  even  ebh  and  llow 
soairreeable  and  remindful.  There  is  no  academician  about  Mr. 
Halsall ;  his  paintinji^s  are  not  hampered  by  theories,  they  can  be 
studied  by  the  untutored  mariner  or  the  artist  with  equal  deli^i^ht; 
and  his  compositions  are  invariably  artistic,  and  often  tender 
and  poetic.  Halsall's  work  evidences  the  characteristics  of  the 
.sailor,  who  sees  thint^s  in  a  big  way ;  now  we  are  studying  the 
gigantic  ices  of  Niagara  Falls,  now  a  frigid  scene  from  the  top 
of  Mount  W'ashinotou,  ajjain  we  are  warmed  with  the  hot  <jlow 
of  a  harbor  sun.set,  or  trail  slowly  along  in  some  becalmed 
schooner  or  yacht.  Still  again  we  see  his  brush  depicting  the 
ship  in  mid-ocean,  flying  before  the  gale  or  moving  in  outlines 
against  the  marge  of  gray,  with  full  sail  set  and  nearing  port 
after  a  successful  voyage.  In  all  of  his  work  the  artist,  painter, 
and  the  sailor  are  combined  with  splendid  force,  and  in  the  full 
magnificence  of  manliness  and  clearness  of  perception.  I  can- 
not see  but  what  his  drawing  equals  that  of  the  European  edu- 
cated student,  and  that  his  energetic  temperament  is  as  well 
displayed  in  water-painting  as  any  of  the  Dutch  painters'.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  his  paintings  move  one  to  an  appreciation  both 
for  their  subjects  and  realism  as  w-ell  as  for  their  poetry  and 
imagination,  and,  if  there  be  aught  lacking  in  the  appearance  of 
a  generous  largeness  of  treatment  in  his  work,  it  cannot  come 
from  the  artist,  but  rather  from  the  narrowness  of  the  critic's 
vision.  We  have  not  among  us  a  more  whole-.souled  artist  or 
one  more  able  to  give  us  the  stories  of  the  sea  or  shore,  the 
anatomy  of  the  ship  or  wave,  than  our  subject. 

Halsall  is  a  member  of  the  Art  Club  and  Paint  and  Clay 
Club,  and  his  works  are  always  acceptable  in  all  of  the  impor- 
tant exhibitions  held  in  New  York,  Chicago,  or  Philadelphia. 


94 


WILLIAM  F.  HALS  ALL. 


Many  of  our  local  collections  contain  Halsall's  works.  His 
"Niagara  Falls"  is  owned  by  B.  W.  Kilburn,  Esq.  ;  "  The  Vol- 
unteer," by  Dr.  Charles  G.  Weld;  "The  Lee  Shore,"  by  T.  J. 
Loud,  Esq.;  and  the  Boston  Art  Club  possesses  "To  the 
Rescue  " 


LOUIS  K.  HARLOW. 


Hari.ow  is  best  known  to  the  art  Avorkl  as  a  water-color 
painter,  and  was  born  at  Wareham,  Mass.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
he  studied  pencil  drawing  with  an  old  English  artist,  and  read- 
ily accords  to  him  whatever  success  he  has  attained  in  the  use 
of  the  point.  His  early  genius  naturally  sought  the  black-board, 
and  his  "  Deer's  Head  "  was  the  wonder  of  all  youthful  eyes. 
After  graduating  from  Phillips  Academy  he  went  into  business  ; 
but  for  figures  and  commercial  pursuits  he  had  little  tact,  or  not 
enough  to  find  pleasure  or  profit  in  them.  In  1880  he  thought 
himself  well  equipped  for  art  life,  and  opened  a  studio  in  Studio 
Building,  where  he  had  "  hard  lines,"  usual  to  artists  who  are 
determined  to  stick  to  their  profession. 

From  1880  to  date,  Harlow  has  steadily  grown  in  repu- 
tation, and  just  as  steadily  has  he  won  the  financial  accompani- 
ment to  merit. 

Boston  is  slow  to  recognize  its  artists,  if  it  ever  does,  and 
Harlow  became  known  in  the  West  before  he  claimed  the 
attention  due  him  in  this  city.  In  1882  he  received  a  call  from 
a  pioneer  band  of  artists,  some  thirty  or  more  students  in  the 
class,  in  Detroit.  There  he  labored  for  several  seasons,  and 
formed  the  nucleus  of  what  has  since  developed  into  a  museum 
of  fine  arts  of  great  importance  and  influence. 

95 


96 


LOUIS  K.  HARLOW. 


His  adaptability  to  instruct  pupils  in  the  rudimentary  princi- 
ples of  art  has  given  him  congenial  employment  in  many  cities, 
and  opened  a  market  for  his  productions. 

His  first  important  exhibition  in  the  East  was  given  at  Mr. 
Walter  Kimball's  galleries  in  this  city,  in  1885,  and  from  that 
time  out  he  has  worked  every  moment  on  commissions.  This 
success  enabled  him  to  visit  Holland,  and  at  another  time  Eng- 
land and  Paris.  While  he  always  found  enough  good  material 
at  home,  by  these  visits  abroad  he  obtained  a  wider  range  and 
comprehension  of  art,  and  his  many  visits  to  study  the  Dutch 
pictures  influenced  his  manner  and  style,  and  gave  him  the 
ideas  which  he  has  so  eminently  improved. 

His  affability  of  temperament  is  evident  in  his  work,  and  his 
alert  sensibilities  are  as  ready  as  his  brush  or  pencil  to  catch 
the  prettiness  of  an  idea  or  the  beauty  and  picturesqueness  of  a 
scene  in  nature.  Few  indeed  are  the  artists  who  can  as  read- 
ily transcribe  a  thought  or  scene  on  the  paper  as  Harlow,  and 
his  rapidity  of  manipulation  of  color  in  the  wash  is  interest- 
ing to  witness.  This  facility  has  surprised  artists  ;  yet  when  he 
finishes  his  painting  the  drawing  and  color  are  complete  and  well 
balanced.  He  seems  to  know  his  colors  and  their  effects,  and, 
like  an  English  artist  who  has  learned  his  trade,  comprehends 
the  results  before  his  brush  is  applied.  This  born  grace  of  his, 
the  handling  of  color,  is  of  special  advantage  in  the  use  of  water- 
colors,  enabling  him  to  fix  an  effect  from  nature  which  the  more 
solid  pigments  are  almost  incapable  of  being  made  to  do. 
Hence  the  touch  and  brilliancy  of  his  studies. 

His  inventive  faculties  are  prolific  and  a  wonder  to  the  pub- 
lishers of  specialties  in  the  line  of  original  illustrated  works, 
and  I  doubt  if  there  are  many  artists  to  be  found  whose 
works  are  as  plentifully  distributed  among  the  homes  of  our 
people. 


LOr/S  K.  JLlKJAni'.  97 

I  will  not  attempt  here  to  oivc  a  list  of  the  iiimicnnis  holiilay 
bt)oks  he  has  conceived  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  no  end  ol  piil)- 
lishers  have  souj^ht  his  service,  and  at  the  present  writing  his 
time  is  divitled  between  Messrs.  IVani^  ^  Co.  and  Mr.  C.  Klack- 
ner.  the  one  in  water-colors  for  reproduction  in  various  sinK-s, 
the  other  in  work  for  etchiui^^s.  This  latter  phase  of  Harlow's 
labor  is  one  which  has  brouLjIu  him  into  notice?  ihrouL^^hout 
llu"  laml  ;  publishers  are  not  likcK  lo  palroni/e  an  artist  unle.ss 


he  be  a  source  of  revenue,  and  this  is  quite  an  indorsement  for 
the  "  taking  qualities  "  of  Harlow's  work. 

There  seems  to  be  no  end  to  the  Aariety  of  subjects  this 
artist  has  treated ;  flowers  and  figures,  land  and  sea  scapes, 
architecture  and  wood  interiors,  as  well  as  themes  from  the 
poets,  and  whatever  he  may  see  in  his  daily  walks,  all  alike 
affect  him  for  the  beauty  and  art  in  them,  and  his  imagination 
feels  out  the  language  or  the  thought  to  be  convejed. 


9.8 


LOUIS  K.  HARLOW. 


In  his  "  Picturesque  Coast  of  New  England,"  published  by 
S.  E.  Cassino,  of  Boston,  we  find  the  instincts  of  the  artist,  and 
his  strength  in  the  portrayal  of  the  scenes,  to  be  evident  at  a 
glance.  The  sea  has  its  charms  for  him,  and  the  influence  of 
its  wonders,  engrafted  into  his  young  heart  on  his  native  heath 
at  the  Cape,  can  never  be  lost  or  mistaken  for  anything  but  the 
genuine.  His  "  Etching  of  Daybreak,"  Longfellow's  sweet 
rhyme,  shows  a  delicate  sense  and  fine  appreciation  of  the 
effects  of  nature  and  the  poetry  of  the  morning  hour.  In  his 
"  Floral  Tributes,"  from  the  Bible,  and  "  Holiday  Songs,"  from 
Shakespeare,  the  careful  student  of  literature  is  evident, 
for  in  the  selection  of  material  for  such  illustrated  work  it 
is  quite  an  easy  thing  for  the  researcher  to  make  too  much 
of  his  subjects,  or,  as  the  journa4ist  would  say,  "  pad 
them." 

He  has  given  to  the  world  many  bits  of  rambling  history  in 
real  life  and  from  nature,  such  as  "  Sketches  in  Dutchland," 
"  Echoes  in  Aquarelle,"  "  American  Poets'  Homes,"  ""  Snow 
Bound,"  "  Home  of  Evangeline,"  "  Green  Pastures,"  "  Still 
Waters,"  and  others  of  equal  note  and  importance. 

His  studio,  at  No.  6  Beacon  Street,  is  a  resort  for  artists, 
critics,  amateurs,  and  connoisseurs,  and,  unlike  most  professional 
men,  he  is  fond  of  company  when  he  is  at  work ;  at  least,  he 
never  seems  to  mind  their  presence,  in  the  sense  of  being 
annoyed,  and  will  keep  up  an  animated  conversation  on  almost 
any  theme,  and  at  the  same  time  handle  a  large  etching-plate, 
design  and  paint  in  color,  or  leave  his  work  and  take  up  a  pencil 
to  illustrate  some  point  in  his  argument. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  his  happy  characteristics,  and  what- 
ever of  praise  is  here  meted  out  to  him  is  deserved.  In  a  quiet 
way  he  has  assisted  many  beginners,  is  always  patient,  and  seems 
to  be  amused  and  interested,  at  the  same  time,  over  the  earnest- 


LOllS  K.  I/ARLOIV.  9*; 

ness  of  the  student.  NalunilU .  lie  has  ukuI*-  \-,\.\\\)  Irieiuls,  and. 
what  is  iinporiaiU  above  all,  he  retains  ihein. 

As  in  his  works,  so  is  he  in  his  social  and  business  rela- 
tions, simple  antl  effective  in  techni([iic.  aiul  al\va)s  aj^p.-eahle 
in  color. 


F.  CIllLni-   H ASSAM. 


Ria-Ri:.Sl!I\(^,  oncrinality  is  al- 
ways c\  i(lciu  in  I  lassam's  work. 
It  is  quite  unlike:  any  other  artist's, 
in  style  or  fmish,  that  1  know  of. 
Startinf^  with  his  drawins^r  and 
en(lin<4'  with  his  compositions,  lill- 
in_o'  u])  the  interxal  with  color, 
technicjue,  and  subject,  he  iinari- 
ably  stamps  his  works  with  a 
strong-  indixidualit)',  antl  sets  the 
imajrinations  and  eyes  of  those 
who  stud)'  his  work  on  the  keen 
jump.  He  is  not  unlike  the  Jap- 
anese in  the  spirit  of  his  drawings, 
full  of  movement  and  force,  very 
vital  in  character.  He  has  had  little  training,  what  might  be 
termed  literal  stud)',  though  his  whole  mature  life  has  been 
devoted  to  artistic  pursuits.  He  was  born  in  Dorchester 
(Boston),  in  1859,  and,  after  leaving  school,  commenced  draw- 
ing on  wood  for  the  engravers.  After  quite  an  apprenticeship 
in  this  line,  he  took  up  illustrated  work,  and  in  this  field 
acquired  an  excellent  reputation,  as  the  children  who  have 


lOI 


I02 


F.  CHILDE  HAS  SAM. 


studied  die  gift  books  of  the  seasons  which  he  has  illustrated 
will  readily  attest.  Despite  the  fact  that  Hassam  has  "  drawn 
many  pictures"  for  the  edification  of  juvenile  readers,  he  has 
never  allowed  this  work  to  interfere  with  his  painting  in  water- 
colors  or  oils,  and  has  been  recognized  as  a  painter  fully 
as  long  as  he  has  been  known  as  an  illustrator.  His  figure 
drawings  in  black  and  white  and  color  have  always  been  very 
taking  with  the  public,  and  when  he  began  to  paint  wet  days 
in  the  streets,  and  put  his  figures  into  the  incidents,  he  struck 
a  motif  which  few  artists  attempt,  by  which  he  has  gained  a 
reputation  on  two  continents. 

Hassam  is  very  observing,  he  notes  the  high  lights  in  every- 
thing he  attempts  to  paint ;  you  feel  this  feature  of  his  art  to  be 
most  prominent.  His  winter  scene  on  Boston  Common, 
painted  in  1885,  evidenced  his  love  for  light  effects  in  a  most 
striking  manner.  It  depicted  the  fading  glow  of  a  clear  winter 
twilight  evening ;  the  gas-jets  were  lit,  the  vehicles  on  the 
streets  caught  the  lights  with  strong  accent,  and  the  reflections 
on  the  upper  stories  of  the  buildings  added  a  rich  quality  of 
color  to  the  interesting  scene.  The  picture  was  exhibited  in 
New  York,  and  readily  found  a  patron.  Its  story-telling  quali- 
ties recommended  it  equally  with  the  manner  of  its  expression, 
there  was  not  a  vacant  or  unmeaning  spot  on  the  canvas. 

Who  that  is  at  all  familiar  with  the  works  of  our  local  artists 
will  forget  Hassam's  street  scenes  ?  Did  he  not  make  some  ot 
the  prosaic  thoroughfares  of  the  south  district  of  Boston  picto- 
rially  poetic,  and  impress  on  our  memories  a  new  way  of  viewing 
street  life  ?  He  certainly  did  make  the  rainy  day  on  Columbus 
Avenue  very  interesting  and  worth  remembering ;  bringing 
before  us  the  coupe  and  patient  horse,  the  puddle,  and  the 
human  figure  on  its  errand,  and  the  silent  piles  of  brick  and 
stone  houses  whose  fa9ades  looked  so  moist  and  grim,  the  while 


/•:  CHIl.PE  H ASSAM. 


103 


the  rain  slaiiti-il  on  its  down  ward  course,  ami  seemed  to  empha- 
size the  fact  that  it  was  determined  to  make  thint(s  just  as  wet 
as  possible.  These  wen-  i^raphic  and  c'iTei  li\-e  hits  of  jrray  color, 
and  showeil  a  phase  ol  out-of-iloor  life  that  is  common  eiiouL;h, 
hut  which  we  have  rarel)'  seen  in  rhythm  before  Hassam  painted 
them.  I  le  has  painted  just  such  scenes  in  New  \'ork,  I'ai  is, 
and  i.ondon  ;  ami  has  since  1SS4  become  recoL;ni/.ed  as  one  of 
the  best  painters  in  this  specialt\-  in  the  countr)-. 


Hassam  is  not  at  all  confined  to  gra)'  days  ;  he  pa'nts  modern 
life  in  the  gay  streets  of  Paris.  The  parks  and  gardens  give 
him  many  suggestions  and  material  wherein  his  figures  can 
move  or  loiter  in  shadow  or  sunlight,  the  ever)-da)-  life  of  the 
village,  flowers  and  landscapes,  up  hill  and  down,  over  deep- 
rutted  roads,  in  the  barnjard,  and  on  the  (xlg(;s  of  the  woods; 
in  all  of  these  scenes  he  feels  the  life  that  is  ofoino'  on  in  the 
earth,  and  upon  it,  and  all  the  while  Hassam  is  one  of  the  most 


I04 


F.   CHILDE  HAS  SAM. 


active  of  the  active  figures,  and,  while  we  cannot  see  him,  we 
do  most  assuredly  feel  his  presence  everywhere.  Hassam's 
chief  characteristic  is  his  passion  for  living  things;  he  makes  his 
clouds  big  enough  to  move  alone  as  they  hurry  along  on  their 
mission ;  he  gives  the  earth,  in  springtime,  little  cracks  to 
breathe  through;  his  children,  men  and  women,  cattle  are  out- 
of-doors  in  action,  doing  something,  alive.  He  never  rests  or 
gives  repose  to  others,  he  does  not  w^orry  his  subjects  or 
those  who  study  his  works;  quite  the  contrary,  he  keeps  every 
one  busy,  and  for  good  cause,  and  in  a  natural  way.  There 
may  appear  to  be,  at  first  sight,  a  little  of  the  memoranda  feeling 
in  Hassam's  work,  but  this  wears  off  on  close  and  careful  exami- 
nation. He  is  not  in  the  least  limited  in  knowledge,  or  power 
to  execute,  and  is  sufficiently  intellectual  to  make  his  subject 
worth  the  study.  He  has  something  to  say,  and  says  it  to  the 
point,  without  superfluous  flourish,  though,  like  most  strong 
painters  of  the  Hassam  type,  he  knows  no  restrictions.  I  some- 
times feel  that  if  Hassam  could  paint  the  reflections  of  his  mind 
while  he  is  catching  or  observing  natural  objects,  that  is,  if  the 
gala  street  scene  could  be  frozen  and  taken  to  his  studio  and 
deliberately  thawed  out  as  he  wanted  it,  he  would  give  us  less 
fragmentary  work,  and  yet  this  very  process  might  obstruct  the 
freedom  of  his  mind  and  brush. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  the  master  workman  about  Hassam. 
He  sets  about  to  paint  a  picture  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  how 
to  handle  his  tools,  is  ready  to  take  new  work  on  his  easel,  and 
invent  a  way  to  make  it  complete.  This  handiness  helps  him 
wonderfully,  and,  doubtless,  makes  up  for  his  apparent  lack  of 
reserve.  Coupled  with  this  facility  or  workmanlike  manner, 
Hassam  shows  a  genuine  artistic  appreciation  for  composition. 
I  think  all  who  know  his  works  will  readily  accord  to  him  the 
title  of  artist  as  well  as  painter,  and  every  new  picture  he  has 


/:  CHILDE  11  ASSAM. 


105 


sent  from  abroad.  wIutc  he  has  hic  n  painiinij^  for  a  jcar  or 
more,  shows  this  artistic  fcchiij^  to  liavc  ili:vt'lo|H-cl  to  a  woiuK  r 
fill  dci^rcc.  In  the  Salon  of  1SS7.  he  was  rcprcscnli'd  1)\  a 
canvas  seven  1)\-  three  ami  one-half  feet,  entitled.  "  V wv.  A\erse, 
la  Rue  lionaparte."  which  is  lu-re  re|)roduced.  and  illustrates  the 
point  in  (|uestion,  sh(uviiii;-  how  naiuial  ii  is  lor  liiin  to  make  an 
artistic  composition,  and  that,  loo,  out  ol  an  apparenil\  ordinar\' 
subject,  llis  .Salon  picture  tor  iSSS  was  ('([ualK'  eons|)iciious 
for  thestr  (jualities.  1  lassam  is  a  sc;rious  and  prolific  painter, 
ami  the  whik;  a  stuilent,  alwa\s  learning-  and  conseciuentK 
proi^ressive. 

In  lookin_<j  over  his  works,  il  we  were  to  place  his  Injures  in 
procession,  we  mi<.(ht  review  them  in  this  order:    I'ir-^l  woukl 
come  the  lady  and  child,  carrj  ino;  an  uni-  , 
brella  ;  their  clothes  are  pulled  al)o\(;  the         ^W'^^'*^ '^f^^'^' > 
ankles,   to  escape   the   mutl   or  watcM".    ^  ^fTrii"^  ■'i  '""^ 
Then  follow  the  old  peasant  and  daui^h- 
ter,   drao'L^ing    the    handcart  ;    at  tlieir 
h'jels  come  the  coupe,  and  women  with 

bundles,  flowers,  and  boxes.  On  one  side  ol  the  street,  watch- 
ing the  scene,  we  will  note  a  lot  of  hackmen.  antl  storemen 
looking  front  out  their  windows,  peo])le  standing  in  llie  door- 
wa)s  waiting  for  their  "bus"  or  a  friend!}'  uml)re!la.  So  all  day 
long  the  crowd  mo\es  on,  until  at  nightfall  the  lights  si)arkle 
from  the  store,  cab,  and  street  lamps,  and  the  glow  of  the  sun 
flecks  the  house-tops,  and  after  a  lime  the  day's  work  is  over, 
the  unconscious  models  are  soon  asleep,  and  Hassam  too  is 
dreaming. 

It  is  safe  enough  to  predict  that  I  lassam  is  sure  to  becomt;  one 
of  the  strongest  painters  this  country  has  |)roduced.  His  subjects 
are  nourishing  to  the  mind,  in  the  sense  that  he  uses  tlie 
material  most  familiar  to  the  ejes  of  every  being,  and  horn 


io6 


F.  CHILDE  MASS  AM. 


which  so  much  can  be  derived  of  value  when  it  is  poetically 
and  intelligently  fixed  in  color  before  us.  He  interprets  the 
bustle  and  life  of  the  street  as  meaning  much  more  dian  a  pass- 
ing show,  a  mere  illustration  in  black  and  white  ;  he  feels  the 
story,  not  the  incident,  the  energy  that  moves  matter  rather 
than  matter  itself.  At  least,  that  is  the  way  I  study  his  works, 
and  I  am  impressed  that,  if  one  will  but  stop  and  look  into  and 
under  his  drawing,  the  same  conclusions  will  be  reached. 

Hassam  has  studied  at  Julien's,  in  Paris,  at  least  two  years, 
and  has  worked  under  Boulanger  and  Lefebvre.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club  of  Boston,  and  is  appreciated  for 
his  personal  character  where  he  is  well  known. 


PHa^:BE  IMCKI'RING  JKNKS. 


W^Tii  ninc-tcnths  of  the  artists,  thcnr  li\'cs  from  earliest 
memories  are  filled  with  pretty  attempts  at  clra\vin<i^  and  ambi- 
tions to  paint.  Here  is  one,  however,  wlio  never  attempted  a 
translation  of  her  thouQ^hts  into  color  until  she  had  reached 
her  twent\  -ninth  \ear.  The  circumstances  of  her  life  had  never 
been  such  as  to  induce  her  to  paint,  or  even  draw.  Maternal 
cares  and  domestic  felicity  filled  her  hapjjy  )outh  and  latter  life, 
and,  at  the  aj^e  referred  to,  Mrs.  Jenks  was  surrounded  with 
artists,  companions  of  her  husband,  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
influence  of  their  presence  awakened  a  new  sentiment  within 
her. 

It  chanced  one  day  that  an  unusually  large  and  Ijeautiful 
bouquet  was  brought  into  her  home  ;  all  day  long  its  delicate 
petals  and  fascinating  colors  were  before  her  eyes,  and  wIkmi  it 
came  night  she  resolved  that  she  would  paint  the  (lowers  the 
next  day.  Tl^e  study  of  the  first  day  and  the  labor  of  the  next, 
when  she  reproduced  the  bouquet,  were  a  surprise  to  her  friends, 
and  a  new  delight  to  herself.  Her  heart  was  full  of  aml)iti()ns 
and  the  latent  energies  of  her  artistic  mind,  and  the  disco\(;ry 

107 


io8 


PHCEBE  PICKERING  JENKS. 


that,  throughout  Hfe,  she  had  been  a  constant  observer  of  nature, 
in  all  of  its  beauties,  was  the  turning-point  in  what  might  well 
be  termed  a  new  career  in  life.  The  subtleties  of  the  more 
solid  colors  in  the  flesh  always  absorb  her  eyes,  and  it  is  not 
improbable,  had  she  begun  to  paint  early  in  life,  that  she  would 
have  commenced  on  still-life,  and  reached  the  position  she  now 
finds  herself  in,  in  her  more  mature  age. 

Her  young  days  were  passed  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  where 
she  was  born,  in  1847,  "^^^  where  she  lived  until  her  sixteenth 
year,  when  she  came  to  Boston  ;  she  is  therefore  thoroughly 
American,  possessing  those  marked  characteristics  of  the  New 
England  type  of  woman,  i.e.,  alertness,  frank,  open  ways,  and 
sincerity  of  spirit.  These  traits  predominate  in  her  work,  filling 
one,  at  sight  of  them,  with  the  honesty  of  the  artist's  methods 
and  purpose. 

Not  long  after  her  first  endeavor  in  art,  Mrs.  Jenks  began  to 
study  out-of-doors,  and,  like  all  true  artists,  found  inspiration  in 
looking  into  nature.  Her  unusual  perceptive  faculties  and 
application,  coupled  with  encouragement  from  patrons,  for 
she  soon  began  to  contribute  to  our  local  exhibitions,  and 
dispose  of  her  works,  enabled  her  to  open  a  studio,  in  Studio 
Building,  and  enter  into  art  as  a  professional  painter. 

There  seems  to  have  been  but  little  experimenting,  in  her 
early  career,  as  to  the  subjects  in  which  her  art  should  be  directed, 
and,  while  landscapes  afforded  her  great  pleasure,  she  rarely 
painted  a  canvas  in  which  there  was  not  one  or  more  fig- 
ures. This  born  love  for  picture-making  and  figure-work,  unin- 
fluenced, save  as  all  minds  are  by  association  and  observation, 
gravitated  toward  portraiture,  and  by  this  specialty  she  is  widely 
known. 

It  is  an  interesting  study  for  the  biographer  to  note  her  prog- 
ress from  time  to  time,  and  to  look  over  the  subjects  she  has 


PHUiBR  PICKERIXC  JliXKS. 


109 


paintctl.  in  thcin  one  can  disciTii  the  ctTtMiiinatcr  loni^ini;  for  the 
ideal,  the  love  ot  chiKln-n,  aiul  a  line,  (Iclifatc  sense  for  composi- 
tions. Where  some  artists  would  pose  their  fissures  with  a  view 
to  lorcihle  lines,  and  would  sacrifice  even  truth  for  intensity  of 
e.\i)ression,  Mrs.  Jenks,  in  an  oriijinal  and  unassiimeil  manner, 
j)laces  her  sitters  with  a  view  to  comfort,  makes  them  at  home, 
as  it  were.  There  ajjpears  to  he  no  stud\  in  the  arranjTements  of 
accessories,  no  check  in  her  freedom  of  movements  and  simpli- 
city of  style.    Her  figure  t)f  "  May  "  is  a  gootl  illustration  of  tiiis 


statement.  It  depicted  a  sweet-faced  girl,  in  a  pretty  white  dress, 
standing  beneatli  the  blossoming  tree  branches  ;  in  her  hands, 
clasped  behind  her,  she  held  a  spray  of  buds ;  her  hair  fell 
loosely  over  her  shoulders,  and  her  full,  beautiful,  blue  eyes 
seemed  to  be  drinking  in  the  new  life  and  glories  of  spring. 
There  was  much  grace  and  ease  in  the  pose  of  the  figure,  and  a 
very  agreeable  moral  ideal  of  beauty  in  the  facial  expression. 


I  lO 


PHLEBE  PICKERING  JENKS. 


She  painted  a  portrait  of  a  boy,  not  long  ago,  which  won  the 
heart  of  every  mother  that  saw  it.  The  youngster  was  put  on 
to  the  canvas  in  a  Rembrandtesque  style  of  costume,  and  his 
face,  though  not  animated  with  the  roguishness  usually  seen  in 
youths  of  his  age,  was  handsome  and  of  the  affectionate  order. 
His  hair  curled  luxuriantly  down  his  neck,  his  eyes  were  full 
and  round,  and  his  lips  were  parted  as  if  to  ask  a  question. 
The  character  of  the  boy  was  evident,  and  it  was  "  mother's 
boy,"  and  enjoyable  on  that  account.  It  was  not  over-painted, 
nor  fumbled  over,  but  seemed  to  be  drawn  and  colored  with 
a  sure  hand  and  eye. 

We  have  a  touch  of  robustness  or  inflections  of  the  mascu- 
line temperament  in  her  "  Cantatrice."  Here  the  figure  was 
posed  against  a  drapery,  and  the  singer  had  completed  her 
lines.  The  vigor  of  life,  and  the  bold  fulness  and  mould  of 
features,  the  self-indulgent  cast  of  expression  and  force  in  the 
outlines  of  form  and  draperies,  were  strong,  positive,  and  effec- 
tive, and  displayed  the  firmness  of  touch  and  decision-  of  char- 
acter of  the  artist. 

How  sweetly  effeminate,  in  contrast,  was  the  portrait  figure  of 
a  young  lady  on  the  lawn,  plucking  the  flowers.  It  was  a  picture 
for  any  time  or  country.  It  was  not  fussy  or  strained  ;  you  dis- 
cover for  yourself  that  you  have  a  high  regard  and  respect  for 
womankind,  and  in  many  ways,  the  face  more  particularly,  it 
reminded  one  of  the  gentle  and  intelligent  types  painted  by 
Copley.  "The  Gypsy,"  a  three-quarters  length  figure  of  a  girl 
standing  in  relief,  against  a  background  of  foliage,  was  a  fine 
piece  of  color,  and  eloquently  appealed  to  the  lover  of  simplicity 
and  freedom  of  such  characters.  There  were  to  be  seen  in  the 
girl's  face  authentic  hints  of  her  nationality,  the  original  ele- 
ment of  expression  in  the  lips  and  eyes,  and  in  the  neglige  of 
costume  and  other  accessories  ;  the  picture  was  impressive,  for 


y 


PIKHIU-   riCKl-R/XG  JF.XKS. 


1 1 1 


it  was  truihrul.  Onr  oi  her  hrsi  portraits,  paiiitcc!  in  1SS7, 
was  that  of  a  lady  attiri'd  in  low  corsage.  I  he  subject  was 
about  thirty-live  years  of  age,  splendidly  developed,  and  e\i- 
tlently  of  an  amiable  disposition.  W  hat  ga\-e  the  jjainting 
\  alue  was  its  truthfulness  of  color  and  a  wholesoineness  of  love 
for  the  life  that  was  in  the  tlesh,  and  the  mind  that  controls  all. 
Thi'  posi'  of  the  head,  firml\-  antl  solidly  resting  upon  the 
shoulders  and  bust,  the  purit)-  of  color  and  individuality  of 
method  or  treatment,  made  this  work  one  of  great  interest  alike 
to  artists,  painters,  and  the  lo\'er  of  good  [pictures. 

Mrs.  jenks  has  been  well  recognized  in  her  ability,  having 
painted  the  portraits  of  Mrs.  Francis  B.  Hayes,  Professor  Sparks' 
grandchildren,  Mrs.  Ellis  L.  Mott  and  daughter,  Mrs.  .S.  A. 
Bigelow',  Mrs.  Harrison  Gardner,  Mrs.  C.  C.  Walworth,  Mrs. 
Kdward  Tyler,  Mrs.  Henry  Lancashire,  and  many  others.  Her 
latest  work,  that  of  the  two  Lovering  boys,  is  by  far  the  most 
pretentious  of  her  attempts.  The  canvas  is  very  large,  and 
shows  the  boys,  one  .seated  on  a  richly  carved  piece  of  furniture, 
and  the  other  stancHng  against  its  arm.  The  background  and 
accessories  are  smartly  painted,  and  in  perfect  and  agreeable 
keeping  with  the  costumes.  The  portraits  are  fine  and  lifelike 
in  color,  and  look  as  if  they  were  breathing  in  the  atmosphere 
which  surrounds  them.  As  portraits  or  as  a  picture  it  will  ever 
be  valuable. 

Of  her  ideal  work,  "  Triumphant,"  in  the  collection  of 
Rhodes  Lockwood,  Esq.,  is  one  of  the  most  breezy,  showing  a 
female  figure  in  highly  effective  costume,  playing  with  her  pet 
birds.  This  |>ainting  represents  Mrs.  Jenks  in  her  strongest 
and  most  decorative  style.  The  "  Gypsy,"  owned  by  Mr.  Mill- 
ard White,  and  "  May,"  in  the  pos.session  of  Mr.  N.  W.  Rice, 
of  Boston,  are  good  and  lasting  examples  from  Mrs.  Jenks' 
brush. 


112 


FHCEBE  PICKERING  JENKS. 


There  have  been  but  thirteen  years  of  study  and  application 
in  Mrs.  Jenks'  art  career,  and  we  write  of  her  pictures,  as  shown 
to-day,  as  one  who  has  settled  down  and  found  her  style  and 
method.  What  will  the  biographer  of  the  future  say  of  her 
last  life  effort,  when  she  shall  have  painted,  say,  thirty  years  ? 
It  seems  to  me  that,  as  all  true  art  is  progressive,  Mrs.  Jenks 
will  be  written  down  as  one  who  was  serious  and  intellectual, 
and  proud  of  her  profession,  that  she  was  an  artist  by  intui- 
tion, and  that  her  portraits  gave  the  expressions  of  the  minds 
of  the  people  that  had  lived,  loved  and  been  beloved,  and 
that  they  all  appeared  to  have  been  born  with  the  comforts 
of  life  at  their  command.  Her  color  will  stand,  and  so  will 
her  drawing. 


HENRY  HUDSON  KITSON. 


Not  yet  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  Kitson  has  given  the 
world  several  really  wonderful  and  imperishable  pieces  of  sculp- 
ture. Kitson  is  a  genius.  He  was  born  near  the  town  of  Hud- 
dersfield,  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  April  9,  1864.  His  family,  for  some 
hundreds  of  years,  had  been  interested  in  the  woollen  trade, 
and  originally  came  from  Halifax,  where  may  still  be  seen,  in  the 
old  churchyard,  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  family.  One  of  his 
ancestors,  Sir  Thomas  Kitson,  took  advantage  of  equality  before 
the  English  law,  and  demanded  personally  of  King  George  III. 
the  payment  of  certain  debts  contracted  on  account  of  the  army  ; 
his  manners  so  pleased  that  monarch  that  he  knighted  him. 

Henr)''s  father  and  mother,  John  and  Emma  Kitson  {nee 
Jagger),  presided  over  a  somewhat  numerous  family,  of  which 
several  members  have  shown  a  strong  and  decided  ability  in  the 
direction  of  sculpture,  literature,  and  painting.     Of  his  early 

"3 


114 


HENR  V  HUDSON  KITSON. 


youth  I  have  heard  him  relate  many  interesting  incidents.  It 
was  his  custom  to  go  on  long  walks  with  his  father  into  the 
country,  to  enjoy  nature,  and  he  would  point  out  the  beauties, 
gather  ferns  and  flowers,  and  when  they  were  brought  home 
Henry  would  draw  them  and  often  carve  them  in  stone.  His 
eldest  brother  being  a  carver,  young  Henry  used  his  tools ;  and 
so  ambitious  and  earnest  was  he  that  his  mother  sent  him  to  the 
evening  class  at  the  Mechanics'  Institute,  in  Huddersfield,  when 
he  was  but  eight  years  of  age.  He  would  walk  to  the  Collegiate 
School  each  morning,  and  back  again  in  the  afternoon,  then  in 
the  evening  returned  for  the  drawing  class,  coming  back  at  ten 
o'clock. 

Before  his  twelfth  year  Henry  had  taken  several  prizes  at 
the  school  for  South  Kensington,  and  also  won  the  first  prize 
given  by  the  Yorkshire  Mechanics'  Institute  for  design. 

In  1877,  just  thirteen  years  of  age,  Henry  came  to  New 
York,  and,  entering  his  brother's  shop,  began  work  on  the  Astor 
Memorial  in  Trinity  Church,  then  in  the  process  of  erection.  He 
took  part  in  all  of  the  best  work  of  the  shop,  including  the  Van- 
derbilts',  for  which  he  modelled  most  of  the  friezes  and  panels. 
It  was  during  these  years  of  practical  work  in  the  cutting  of 
stone  and  ornamental  designing  that  the  young  sculptor  gained 
great  knowledge  and  control  of  tools,  and,  though  he  lacked  in 
years,  the  most  important  work  in  carving  came  to  him,  and 
perhaps  it  was  well  that  it  was  so.  In  1882,  Kitson  entered  the 
Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts  and  Ecole  des  Arts  Decoratifs.  In  the 
Salon,  1883,  he  exhibited  his  first  bust  from  life,  that  of  his 
friend  Angelo  Schiitze,  musician  and  painter.  This  work  was 
characterized  by  great  strength  of  expression,  was  a  true  labor 
of  love,  and  now  rests  on  the  grave  of  the  much  lamented  fellow- 
student.  The  bust  of  "  Amour,"  a  sweet-faced  child  with  love 
in  its  every  line,  was  executed  in  this  year. 


j/EXRY  i/rnsox  kj  tsox. 


At  the  Beaux  Arts  lu;  worked  in  the  ateliers  nuinont  ami 
Bonnassieiix,  and  at  the  Ails  Decoratifs  widi  Millet  ami  (iaiilcr. 
Both  ateliers  were  much  c  rowxlc  il,  aiul,  as  work  was  coiulucletl 
under  great  difficulties,  he.  oju-neil  a  studio  ol  his  own,  when 
his  studies  and  aims  took  a  more  definite  and  [KTsonal  shape. 
At  this  time  was  commenced  the  "  Music  of  the  Sea,"  which 
appeared  in  the  Salon  of  18S4  and  drew  forth  universal  admira- 
tion.    This  work  was  especially  based  on  a  most  interesting 


study  of  nature,  and  was  an  episode  in  the  life  of  the  sculptor, 
happening  when  on  his  walks  with  his  father  on  the  west  coast 
of  England.  The  work  is  not  sensational  ;  it  is  poetic,  full  of 
mild  character.  You  feel  a  growth  in  this  boy,  a  silent  growth, 
no  violence,  no  striving  for  the  executive.  This  boy  is  a  boy, 
he  is  listenincf  to  the  murmur  of  the  sea  in  the  shell,  he  is  think- 
ing,  smiling,  wondering  what  is  meant  by  the  sounds  ;  he  is 
thoughtful  as  a  child.    There  is  graceful  and  quiet  movement,  it 


ii6 


HENRY  HUDSON  KITSON. 


is  tranquil,  and  the  boy  seems  alone.  You  can  watch  him,  he  is 
too  absorbed  to  heed  your  presence.  The  work  is  one  of  beauty, 
innocence,  and  fine  poetic  imagination.  It  was  awarded  the 
gold  medal  of  honor  at  the  Prize  Fund  Exhibition,  in  New  York, 
in  1885,  also  a  gold  medal  at  the  Massachusetts  Charitable 
Mechanic  Association  Exhibition  in  Boston,  and  is  now  in  the 
collection  of  Mrs.  David  P.  Kimball,  of  Boston.  It  is  amusing 
just  here  to  recall  some  of  the  details  entering  into  the  construc- 
tion of  this  noted  work.  One  day,  in  commencing  the  figure,  a 
need  was  felt  to  give  more  strength  to  the  iron  armatures ; 
inspiration  being  up  and  no  time  to  be  wasted  in  going  to  the 
blacksmith's,  the  poker  and  fire  tongs,  being  at  hand,  were 
pressed  into  service  and  did  not  again  see  the  light  till  the  com- 
pletion and  casting  of  the  figure.  Once  in  moving  to  a  new 
studio  one  of  the  arms,  upon  which  most  careful  work  had  been 
bestowed,  was  jolted  off,  and  delays  occurred  to  make  his  friends 
regret  and  believe  that  it  would  never  be  in  time  for  the  "  Salon," 
but  on  the  appointed  day  Kitson  took  the  statue  and  the  bust  of 
the  "  Fisherman's  Wife"  in  a  hand-cart  and  arrived  with  it,  hav- 
ing but  a  few  moments  to  spare,  at  the  receiving  door.  The  two 
pieces  were  received,  and  were  both  well  placed  and  remarked. 

How  easy  it  is  to  relate  these  incidents  ;  but  none  know  the 
struggles  and  hardships  of  these  ambitious  students,  except 
those  who  have  likewise  toiled  and  won. 

During  the  summer  of  1884  was  modelled  the  "Singing 
Girl,"  and  a  bust  of  Mr.  Sturdee  ;  both  were  successful  works. 
In  the  autumn  he  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  made  the 
bust  of  John  McCullough,  the  actor,  for  which  he  took  the  death- 
mask  at  Philadelphia ;  and  later  on  he  modelled  the  deli- 
cate and  beautiful  bas-relief  of  "  Easter,"  the  portrait  of  Miss 
Ruggles,  exhibited  in  marble  in  the  Salon  of  1888,  and 
the  clay  model  of  the  late  Mayor  Doyle,  of  Providence,  R.  I., 


IIEXRY  //CJ)SO.V  K/TSOX. 


117 


the  statue  of  which  he  is  now  cnj^Mnrtl  upon  in  Paris.  The 
model  gave  evidence  of  his  ahiht\  lo  compose  and  crcati",  to 
model  and  make  alive.  The  fij^ure  stands  (|uite  erect,  is  tn'mly 
planted  on  his  legs,  and,  if  he  were  clatl  in  the  costume  of  the 
Directory,  would  show  a  correct  and  forcible  anatom)'.  1  le 
has  made  the  best  of  the  tailor  garments  by  throwing  back  the 
Prince  Albert  coal  and  allowing  the  folds  to  drape  somewhat 
over  the  left  hantl.  which  rests  on  the  hip.  There  is  from  top 
to  toe  a  muscular  action  or  mo\ement  going  on  even  though 
the  mind  appears  to  be  calm  antl  in  healthful  repose.  He 
makes  his  figure  feel  the  dignity  of  his  position  among  men,  and 
when  the  work  is  set  up  in  bronze,  I  have  no  tloubt,  it  will  be 
a  grand  exponent  of  his  proficiency  and  of  the  proficiency  of 
the  sculptural  art  of  his  time. 

Kitson's  force  is  passive,  almost  solemn  in  its  nature,  and  yet 
it  never  lacks  in  virarous  form  and  line.  Indeed,  it  is  remarkable 
in  these  characters  ;  he  keeps  them  simple,  hence  their  truth  and 
beaut)-.  He  is  capacitated  intellectually  to  grasp  a  big  subject, 
though  his  physical  vitality  may  not  enable  him  to  carry  it  to 
its  completion.  I  feel  he  is  quite  aware  of  this  fact ;  yet  he 
would  attempt  a  colossus,  even  though  he  broke  down  under  it, 
so  great  is  his  determination  and  ardor  for  his  art.  His  range 
of  subjects  runs  through  the  entire  gamut,  from  the  lowest 
relief  to  the  heroic  statue,  and  he  is  equally  strong  in  every 
desiofn.  Take  his  bas-relief  of  "  Easter,"  showinof  a  three- 
quarters  head,  shoulders,  and  arms  of  a  beautiful  maiden.  It  is 
like  a  Donatello  in  moderation,  and  the  execution  is  equal  to 
the  conception,  though  with  Kitson  the  workmanship  or  tech- 
nique follows  the  cardinal  idea  or  the  breadth  of  his  composition. 
He  knows  how  to  work  out  the  detail  even  to  elaboration,  his 
sketch  is  a  finished  work,  but  his  art  is  master,  he  would  sacri- 
fice nothing  which  he  felt. 


ii8 


HENRY  HUDSON  KITSON. 


His  yearnings  are  for  beauty,  beauty  where  it  is  not  usually 
looked  for ;  like  a  child  with  an  instinct  and  passion  for  the 
freshness  of  nature,  for  the  purity  in  living  things,  we  see  him 
eagerly  absorbed.  He  will  never  mature  in  this  direction, 
never  change  in  the  nature  of  his  subjects  or  his  method  of 
treatment,  but  will  continue  to  show  a  youthful  buoyancy,  and 
his  maturity  will  present  to  us  beauty  without  age. 

There  may  be  some  who  feel  that  they  know  the  sculptor, 
and  that  he  is  not  credited  with  the  vigor  or  robustness  that 
they  think  they  have  seen  evident  in  him.  To  such  let  me  say 
that  Kitson  must  be  studied  in  his  works  — "  By  their  works 
shall  ye  know  them."  If  his  lifelong  friends  had  noted  him 
closely,  they  would  have  detected  his  moods,  for  he  is  a  man 
possessed  of  a  reflective  nature,  and  they  would  have  discovered 
a  depth  of  genuine  poetic  feeling  in  him,  a  creative  silence 
which  belongs  only  to  poets.  All  of  his  seeming  bravado  or 
playfulness  counts  as  nothing  in  his  art  ;  it  is  lost  the  moment 
he  touches  the  clay. 

Contrary  to  the  general  rule  among  artists,  Kitson,  in  his 
social  relations,  does  not  evidence  his  genius,  but  rather  sug- 
gests a  jolly  good  fellow  ;  even  in  adversity  he  never  burdens 
others  with  his  sorrows.  He  gives  to  the  world,  always,  the 
best  there  is  in  him. 

He  is  instinctively  a  sculptor,  and  takes  a  view  of  men  and 
objects  with  regard  to  their  construction  and  weight ;  weight  of 
light  and  gradations.  You  feel  this  is  true  when  you  use  your 
knuckle  on  the  head  of  his  bust  of  Miss  Ruggles  ;  it  is  firm  and 
like  a  skull,  the  hair  is  subtle  in  its  movement,  lightness,  and 
color.  He  honors  his  subject  by  his  strokes  of  genius,  by  his 
own  consciousness  and  love.  Prevailinof  traditions  do  not  affect 
him,  else  he  would  have  seated  his  Doyle  in  a  chair,  where  he 
would  have  forever  appeared  an  unnatural  object,  as  he  was 


HFXRV  lU'DSOX  K/TSON. 


never  scon,  in  our  cold  clinic.     Kitson  embodies  the  beauty  el 
color  and  form  in  scul|)ture.  and  a  power  to  \  italize  the  cla)  or 
bronze  with  the  inward  firi'  of  his  spiritual  force.    It  he  lives 
another  quarter-century,  what  ijrlorious  works  he  will  perlorm  ! 

At  present  he  has  several  commissions  for  monuments,  also 
one  for  a  bu.st  of  Queen  Ii!lizabeth,  "  Carmen  Sylva,"  of  Rou- 
mania.  upon  which  he  is  at  work  in  the  Royal  Palace  at  Bucha- 
rest. As  his  friend  Wickenden  says  of  him,  "  he  has  truly 
hew  n  out  by  hard  knocks  and  severe  study  a  o^ateway  to  the; 
temple  of  fame,  and,  once  havinsj^  entered,  we  may  certainly 
expect  many  more  stron<^  and  beautiful  works  from  his  hand, 
for  which  his  youth  and  alrcad)-  remarkable  success  give  such 
ample  promise." 


\VALl"i:k  1".  L.WSIL, 


F()RTV-r\V()  )cars  ajj^o,  the  date  of  Lansil's  birili,  in  Ban- 
gor. Mc.  there  were  upwartl  ol  two  thousand  vessels  anniiall)- 
employed  at  that  port  in  llie  lumber  trade  ;  and  we  may  be  rea- 
sonably sure  that  when  ^ounir  Lansil  was  able  to  move  about 
he  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  stirring  life  of  the  Penobscot 
mariner.  Not  unlike  other  artists  born  in  seaport  towns,  he  was 
influenced  and  impres.sed  b)-  the  romance  of  the  sailor's  life, 
saw  the  picturesqueness  rather  than  the  conmicrcial  features  of 
shipping,  and  developed  a  facult)-  for  i)icture-making,  which  is 
well  remembered  b)'  his  schoolmates.  Of  his  knowledge  of  the 
sea  and  the  construction  of  a  ship  his  works  of  later  life  give 
am[)le  proof,  and  of  his  characteristics  and  art  life  we  shall  find 
much  that  is  of  interest. 

As  young  Lansil's  very  instincts  led  him  to  walk  the  deck 
of  a  ship,  so  his  soul  longed  for  the  time  when  he  should  be 
able  to  paint  the  poetry  that  animated  his  love  for  the  sea  and 
its  toilers.  Lansil  studied  art  under  Mr.  f.  P.  Hard\-  in  P>ang()r 
until  he  came  to  Boston  and  took  a  studio  in  Studio  lUiilding, 
where  I  first  met  him  in  the  early  seventies.  At  that  time  he 
was  painting  rather  fair-sized  canvases,  and  rather  |)retentious 
ones  too.     His  mind  was  working  in  the  sea-story  vein,  that  is, 


122 


WALTER  F.  LANSIL. 


he  was  painting  prose  in  beautiful  colors,  and,  while  there  was 
some  poetry  in  his  works,  he  felt  that  they  lacked  the  fulness  of 
sentiment  which  is  evident  in  his  later  paintings. 

He  has  had  what  may  be  termed  three  distinct  styles  of 
painting  during  his  career,  his  "  Crossing  the  Georges,"  owned 
by  the  Boston  Marine  Insurance  Company,  being  the  most  vigor- 
ous, "The  Arrival  in  Port"  being  his  most  poetic,  and  his  Vene- 
tian pictures  which  show  a  strong  and  wonderfully  rich  feeling 
in  color.  I  do  not  forget  his  "  Fishermen  in  Calm,"  his  "  Sun- 
set," or  his  really  pretty  and  solid  shore  marines  ;  how  can  any 
one  with  a  love  for  color  forget  them  ?  Lansil's  pictures  are 
always  charming  in  composition  and  subject,  but  I  cannot  for 
the  life  of  me  remember  anything  about  his  drawing ;  yet  would 
have  noticed  it,  doubtless,  if  it  had  been  bad  enough.  This  is 
rather  an  amusing  fact,  that  his  drawing  should  escape  one's 
memory,  but  if  it  were  necessary  to  make  a  record  of  this  phase  of 
his  art  I  could  see  one  of  his  pictures  in  half  a  minute,  it  having 
been  one  of  my  eye-companions  for  several  years.  Perhaps  it  is 
a  good  feature  to  conceal  the  mechanical  portions  of  one's  work, 
as  Lansil  does,  that  is,  to  paint  with  such  freedom  and  sentiment 
and  color  as  to  make  one  lose  sight  of  all  mannerisms  and 
methods,  as  Decamps  also  did.  Certain  it  is  that  Lansil  can 
draw  well,  and  since  his  return  from  Venice  his  color  has 
become  more  conflagrant  and  evident  above  all  things,  and  as 
he  goes  on  he  seems  to  get  nearer  to  the  old  Venetians  in 
point  of  mellowness. 

Lansil's  greatest  achievement,  and  the  one  which  I  feel  he 
will  be  best  known  by,  is  a  large  canvas  now  in  the  possession 
of  the  artist  and  patron  Scott  Leighton,  and  very  recently 
painted.  It  depicts  a  great  Italian  ram  steamship  at  anchor 
several  miles  from  the  city  of  Venice.  The  vessel  is  painted 
white,  and  not  far  from  her  port  is  a  huge,  red,  oval  buoy. 


U  AL  THR  F.  LAXSIL. 


lictuccn  the  buo)'  aiitl  tlir  ship  the  n  lKction  of  the  whole  white 
broadside  sweeps  down  to  the  edy^e  ol  the  can\as.  '['\\v  city 
lies  oft' in  the  right  and  K  it  lu  rspective,  bathetl  in  the  hot  sun. 
anil  warnieil  by  its  rich  glow.  ( )\  i'r  all  is  a  melting  sky  pecidiar 
to  the  locality  many  days  in  the  year.  The  painting  and  color 
in  this  work  are  beautiful  and  forcible,  and  in  subject  and  com- 
j)osition  it  is  as  imconventional  as  any  picture  I  hav(;  excr 
studied.    1  would  not  dispute  any  enthusiastic  connoisseur  if  he 


were  to  pronounce  it  "  one  of  the  finest  still-water  marines  ever 
painted." 

The  Dutch  luggers  of  Hollancl.  a  few  coast  and  port  scenes 
in  Belgium,  and  the  studies  which  he  made  in  Germany  and 
France,  show  that  he  is  strongly  impressed  with  the  local  color 
and  movement  of  the  different  countries.  His  two  winters  in 
Paris,  studying  at  the  schools,  did  not  change  his  style,  but 
seemed  to  make  him  more  observant  of  details;  it  helped  his 
power  of  expression,  and  his  Venetian  pictures  also  show  it. 


124 


WALTER  F.  LANSIL. 


Lansil  rarely  paints  the  fury  of  the  wave,  even  in  his  Dutch 
pictures  ;  in  fact,  who  ever  saw  one  of  his  pictures  depicting  a 
gale  or  storm  at  sea?  He  possesses  the  physique  to  accom- 
plish, but  not  the  temperament.  To  him  the  becalmed  fisher- 
man, the  night  on  the  waters,  the  sunset,  the  slow-moving  tide, 
the  placid  summer  sea,  the  ships  at  anchor  or  at  the  pier,  and 
the  mist  that  sometimes  hangs  over  the  deep,  these  peaceful 
scenes,  frankly,  openly  painted,  are  all  gentle,  sweetly  poetic, 
and  show  the  tenderness  and  affection  of  his  sentiments. 

How  easy  it  is  to  get  at  the  disposition  of  an  artist.  Here  is 
Lansil,  for  instance  ;  you  may  be  sure  by  studying  his  works,  be 
they  in  the  form  of  etchings,  of  which  work  he  is  very  fond, 
many  of  his  plates  being  very  free  in  line,  or  in  his  oil  or  water 
colors,  that  he  is  not  variable,  that  he  never  riots  with  his  neigh- 
bor, that  he  is  an  agreeable  companion  and  a  firm  friend.  You 
may  be  sure,  also,  of  his  sympathy  in  time  of  need,  and  that  he 
will  appreciate  a  bit  of  wit,  and  laugh  till  the  tears  come  over  a 
good  yarn.  He  can  be  counted  on  for  hospitable  treatment,  and 
is  generous  to  a  fault,  a  trait  not  prevalent  among  artists,  say 
one  out  of  every  four  possessing  it  in  fair  degree.  With  Lansil, 
you  know  his  work  and  you  know  the  man,  ?nd  I  presume  it  is 
so  with  writers  or  any  professional  men  ;  a  man  cannot  hide 
himself  behind  any  style  he  may  for  even  a  short  time  assume  ; 
a  man  writes  and  paints  himself. 

Lansil  is  a  hard  worker  when  he  paints,  and  rarely  leaves  a 
subject  half-finished  for  any  length  of  time.  He  thinks  out  his 
picture  before  he  touches  it,  and  when  he  has  concluded  its 
arrangement  he  pushes  on  to  the  completion,  often  laying  in  his 
colors  before  making  any  extensive  drawing. 

His  pictures  are  all  original  and  constitutional,  or  individual 
in  treatment.  His  color  lifts  us  into  warmth  ;  we  measure  the 
aerial  and  water  perspective  in  his  pictures  as  we  do  when  we 


I 


WALTER  /■:  LAXS/r. 


125 


visit  the  shore  :  \vc  feci  thi?  siinhi^ht  upon  us  ;  ever)-  s|)()t  the 
c\c  rests  upon  is  ilhiminated.  His  simplicity  of  manner  c  harms 
us;  it  ni'ver  intriules,  hut  rather  commands  the  aiicnlion.  In 
an  exhibition  his  pictures  will  carr\'  ihcmseKi  s  and  all  others 
aroiuui  them  ;  they  seem  to  shed  a  kindl)-  ami  welcome  lii^du. 
and  make  their  locahty  cheerful. 

LansiTs  appearance  is  of  the  mariner  rather  than  the  lands-  •  • 

man,  ami  his  salutation  is  always  of  the  sailordike  heartini^ss. 
He  also  combines  with  these  outward  traits  the  nco-Iior  of  the 
artist  and  the  expressions  of  a  serious,  thou^hlful  man.  1  \c  is 
of  the  q^lad-to-see-you  type,  and  loves  to  talk  of  what  is  going 
on  and  how  well  the  artists  and  everybod)-  are  doing. 

He  is  a  resident  of  Dorchester,  where  he  has  a  studio,  which 
is  filled  with  objects  of  a  varied  and  nautical  nature  ;  anil  Ik? 
may  occasionally  be  seen  on  our  streets,  slowly  moving  along 
and  observing  with  great  interest  the  busy  people. 

In  art  circles  Lansil  has  received  abundant  evidence  of  the 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  alike  by  his  many  patrons  and  per- 
sonal friends.  Like  his  pictures,  he  is  ever  welcome  at  the 
club,  and  his  social  and  open-hearted  ways  make  him  a  ready 
favorite. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  a  detailed  and  technical  analysis  of 
Lansil's  work  has  been  passed  over  ;  the  reason  for  so  doing  is 
that  the  writer  prefers  to  give  an  impression  of  the  artist  and  his 
pictures  in  the  space  at  command,  rather  than  the  exact  and 
often  dry  details  of  how  results  are  obtained.  I  will  say,  how- 
ever, in  parenthesis,  that  his  paintings  will  stand  close  stud)-,  and 
that  the  student  of  art  will  enjoy  his  technique  as  well  as  ^ou/ 
ensemble. 

Lansil  has  received  several  medals  for  his  excellence  as  a 
painter,  and  was  the  only  foreigner  on  the  jury  of  awards,  in  1S83, 
at  the  Fine  Art  Exhibition  at  St.  John,  N.  B.    His  works  are  to 


126 


WALTER  F.  LANSIL. 


be  found  in  almost  every  collection  of  representative  American 
painters,  and  among  them  may  be  mentioned  the  following : 
"  Waiting  for  the  Tide,"  owned  by  Gov.  Oliver  Ames  ;  "  Fisher- 
men Becalmed "  is  at  Smith's  College,  Northampton,  Mass. ; 
"Midnight  Arrival"  and  "Trawlers  Making  Port"  are  both  at 
the  Adams  House;  "Becalmed"  is  owned  by  F.  M.  Ames, 
Esq. ;  "A  Dead  Calm  "  is  in  the  interesting  collection  of  Amos 
W.  Stetson,  Esq.,  of  Boston  ;  "  Sunset,  Vineyard  Sound,"  is 
owned  by  Mrs.  Gen.  Lander,  Salem,  Mass.  ;  and  three  of  his 
early  works  are  in  the  possession  of  the  Hon.  John  Quincy 
Adams. 


SCOIT  LKIGHTON. 


Much  credit  is  clue  to  the  artist  who,  in  his  earl)-  career, 
solves  his  own  problems,  g-uidecl  solely  his  own  keen  in- 
stincts, and  owino-  nothinof  to  schools  and  little  to  influences. 
Such  an  artist  is  Scott  Leii^^hton.  the  painter  of  horses,  who 
spices  his  work  with  a  rare  and  delicious  flavor  of  his  own 
individuality,  and  shows  his  supreme  love  for  and  knowledg'e 
of  animals. 

He  was  born  at  Aulnirn,  Me.,  and  as  early  as  his  fourth  year 
gave  infantile  sU^ns  and  symbols  of  artistic  taste.  At  that  early 
age  he  evidenced  his  love  for  animals  by  making  curious  little 
drawings  of  horses,  and,  as  he  progressed  in  his  common-school 
studies,  he  developed  as  a  draughtsman,  and  to  such  an  extent 
that  his  schoolmaster  encouraged  his  art  b)'  allowing  him  to 
make  studies  of  animals,  when  other  pupils  were  engaged  in 
their  routine  duties.  Despite  the  demands  of  his  parents  that 
he  should  work  on  the  farm,  this  passion  for  horses  developed 
with  his  years,  and  at  seventeen  we  find  the  youth  in  Boston, 
studying  in  the  galleries  and  visiting  the  horse  marts  in  quest  of 
thoroughbreds,  in  order  to  perfect  his  knowledge  and  acquaint- 
ance with  art  and  its  application  to  his  profession.    While  on 

127 


128 


SCOTT  LEIGH  TON. 


his  travels  he  discovered  an  artist  employed  in  painting  horse 
portraits,  and,  after  learning  that  this  artist  received  a  fair  price 
for  each  subject,  he  conceived  the  idea  that  he  could  make  a 
tour  of  the  Eastern  States  as  a  horse-painter.  Accordingly  he 
set  out  for  the  East,  and  travelled  through  the  States  and  Prov- 
inces, and,  after  several  years  of  varied  experience,  he  settled 
down  at  Wellesley  Hills,  Mass.,  where  he  enjoyed  farm 
life,  and  painted  a  great  deal  out-of-doors.  It  is  well  enough 
for  an  artist  of  Leighton's  temperament  to  keep  in  the  open  air, 
his  nature  demands  it,  and  his  studies  from  nature  invariably 
possess  a  fuller  quality  of  color  and  show  an  intenser  passion  for 
things  that  grow  than  is  to  be  found  in  his  indoor  work.  Here, 
as  elsewhere,  success  followed  him,  his  work  becoming  known 
and  appreciated  far  and  wide.  In  1874,  believing  himself  to  be 
well  equipped  in  art  and  finance,  he  came  to  Boston,  started 
a  studio,  and  here  he  has  labored  up  to  date  quite  independently 
and  with  a  success  that  is  not  vouchsafed  to  many  American 
artists. 

For  several  years,  Leighton  painted  nothing  but  horse 
portraits,  and  his  fame  became  so  extensive  that  he  executed, 
on  an  average,  thirty  portraits  every  year.  After  a  time,  he 
became  aware  that  he  was  turning  out  more  portraits  than 
artistic  merit  would  allow,  and  about  five  years  ago  he  deter- 
mined to  work  for  art  and  for  art's  sake.  He  accordingly 
commenced  the  serious  study  of  landscapes,  cattle,  and  fowl, 
sought  out  the  picturesque  beauties  of  nature,  to  which  he 
added  the  domestic  and  interesting  side  of  the  horse.  He  now 
began  a  new  art  career,  and  painted  pictures  where  once  he 
painted  portraits  only.  I  remember  distinctly  his  first  genre 
painting,  exhibited  in  Boston.  The  subject  was  simple,  and  de- 
picted a  horse  at  a  watering-trough.  It  was  not  only  well  drawn 
and  painted,  but  it  displayed  a  tender  sentiment  and  affection 


SCO  TT  I.EIC.1IT0X. 


129 


for  tht'  dumb  creatures.  The  work  was  (|uili'  a  surprise  to  the 
local  artists,  and  ol  course  louinl  a  ri  ad\  aiul  happy  patron. 

Leii^^hton  has  steadily  iinprovid  Irom  that  moment,  in  com- 
position, finish,  and  care  ol  iletail.  This  much  of  praise  is  due 
to  one  so  unassumini^"  and  s^enerous,  as  man)'  an  artist  less 
j^ifted  can  testify,  for  in  his  art  he  has  labored  tlilio'cntl)-. 
earnestly,  and  a  kindl\'  word  for  such  is  none  too  timely.  It 
must  be  understood  that  in  ortler  to  |)aint  a  horse  well  the  re- 
quirements of  an  artist  are  manifold  indeetl.     lie  must,  fu'st  of 


all.  know  and  love  his  subject,  his  knowlcdo'e  of  anatom)-  must 
be  perfect,  for  there  is  no  draper)'  to  hide  tlie  nudit)-  of  a 
horse;  then  there  is  the  richness  of  colors,  sheen,  and  liulit  and 
shade,  as  delicate  often  as  in  the  liuman  llesh ;  the  tcmpcn-ament, 
poses,  and  action  also.  All  these  essentials  are  to  l)e  considered, 
and,  as  far  as  m\-  ac(iuaintance  with  horse-painters  ^-ocs,  there 
are  few  who  possess  them  in  so  fulT  ant!  comprehcmsixc  a 
det^ree  as  Leii,diton.  I  am  conscious  of  the  marvellous  power  of 
Fromentin,  Chelminski,  .Schre)-er,  more  in  color  than  drawin<T, 


I30 


SCOrr  LEIGHTON. 


Delamin,  the  master  of  them  all  in  technique  and  knowledge, 
and  others  of  the  French  school  whose  works  have  so  elevated 
the  standard  of  art  by  their  creative  ability  and  originality  ;  but 
in  the  same  sense,  distinct  originality,  I  cannot  but  feel  that 
Leigh  ton  occupies  the  same  place  in  his  own  country — an  artist 
uninfluenced  by  academy,  individual  in  his  work,  of  no  school, 
and  therefore  a  representative  American  painter.  Decamps  and 
Delacroix  said  of  Schreyer  as  a  horse-painter,  "  He  is  an  imita- 
tor of  no  school  or  man,"  and  the  same  expression  may  properly 
be  applied  to  Leighton. 

His  horses  are  always  technically  good  in  drawing,  showing 
unerring  knowledge,  the  result  of  arduous  study  and  a  happy 
sense  of  seeing  and  feeling  for  the  noble  traits  of  these  creat- 
ures. 

There  are  many  good-looking  horses,  painted  by  landscape- 
painters,  attached  to  farm  wagons  in  the  pastures ;  but  one  feels 
that  if  they  were  to  move  or  be  moved,  like  a  puzzle,  they  would 
all  drop  to  pieces.  They  are  painted,  like  the  wheels  or  shafts, 
to  stay  forever  where  they  are,  a  part  of  the  scene,  and  are 
included  in  the  composition  with  the  rocks,  fences,  and  other 
inanimate  objects. 

As  the  sea-captain  knows  the  ropes  and  gives  his  commands, 
so  the  horse  man  is  intimate  with  every  part  of  the  horse,  knows 
his  qualities  and  what  his  endurance  is;  he  cannot  be  fooled. 
Leighton's  horses  are  known  to  traders  and  fanciers,  and  they 
can  always  point  out  their  fine  features  on  the  canvas,  and  at 
the  same  time  are  wont  to  say,  "  I'd  like  to  own  horses  like 
those."  There  must  be  art  and  knowledge  in  such  painting. 
His  landscapes,  or,  as  one  might  say,  "settings"  for  his  animals, 
are  free  transcripts  from  nature,  always  poetic  and  harmonious. 

His  color  is  brilliant  and  permanent,  his  execution  vigorous 
and  yet  refined.    His  compositions  are  full  of  grace  in  line  and 


SCOTT  I.EIGIITON. 


form,  aiul  hr  is  alive  to  the  iiniioriaiUH'  ot  projj^ress.  or.  lo  use 
an  expression  1  ha\i- often  heard  Iroin  his  lips,  •■  |usi  wail  iiiuil  1 
am  a  dozen  \ears  oKler,  anil  1  will  show,  it  hard  work  can  accom- 
])lish  anNthini^.  that  1  lo\-e  m\  prolession  and  am  hound  lo  im- 
prove." 

Leii^hton  is  a  member  of  the  Art  Club,  has  been  a  l)ene- 
factor  to  many  a  '"hard-up"  artist,  and,  bein^-  wx)-  frank  and 
open  in  his  communications  with  men.  is  constantl)'  surrounded 
by  a  large  coterie  of  admirers. 

Among  the  man\-  works  jjroduced  1)\'  Leighton,  the  following 
ma\- be  classed  wiili  the  best:  Mr.  J.  Re(xl  Whipple,  "In  th(,' 
Stable;"  Mr.  (ieorge  Hall,  "Three  Veterans,"  one  of  the  most 
sympathetic  of  Leighton's  works  ;  Col.  \\.  .S.  Russell,  "  .Smug- 
gler ;  "  Mr.  John  .Shepard,  "On  the  Road,"  a  s[)irited  canvas; 
Mr.  Thomas  Mack,  "The  Pet;"  Mr.  Geo.  F.  Fabian,  "Wait- 
ing;" Mr.  Joseph  Hickson,  "Dogs;"  Mr.  David  Nevins, 
"The  Fearnaught  Stallions,"  and  other  works  of  interest  and 
value  parts  of  collections  in  and  out  of  this  State. 


FRANK  T.  MERRILL. 


Mr.  Merrill  has  been  a  Boston  boy  since  the  clay  of  his 
birth,  1848.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Roxbur)'  High  School, 
and  studied  art,  first  at  the  Lowell  Institute,  in  1864,  and  later, 
1875,  at  the  Art  Museum  School.  Like  the  true  artist,  who 
has  reverence  for  his  master  and  sees  the  good  he  tries  to  do, 
he  takes  up  the  gentle  cudgels  for  the  venerable  Hollingsworth, 
of  the  Institute,  and  credits  him  with  having  drilled  him  none  too 
hard  in  the  study  of  the  ball,  the  vase,  and  the  boxes.  He 
rightfully  claims  that  the  eye  was  correctly  trained  in  tlie 
elements  of  linear  perspective,  when  the  boxes  were  drawn  and 
redrawn,  arain  and  aofain,  and  that  this  drilling^  has  ever  been 
invaluable  to  him.  He  eagerly  applied  himself  to  his  work,  and, 
three  months  after  entering  the  Institute,  he  took  up  the 

133 


'34 


FRANK  T.  MERRILL. 


manikin  and  so  continued  advancing  to  the  life  classes  of 
the  studio,  and  going  to  nature  for  a  complete  study  of  light  and 
shade.  Merrill  is  thoroughly  appreciative  of  his  American  train- 
ing, and  indorses  with  pride  a  remark  made  to  him  by  his 
friend,  E.  L.  Weeks,  after  he  had  returned  from  the  Beaux  Arts, 
to  the  effect  that  "  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  School  in  Boston, 
for  the  technical  training  of  students  and  for  other  facilities,  is 
as  good  and  perfect  as  any  school  in  Europe." 

Merrill  is  progressive  in  his  work,  and  in  his  early  drawings 
on  wood  displayed  considerable  chic  or  clever  imaginative  feel- 
ing ;  but  he  is  nevertheless  seen  to  better  advantage  in  his  care- 
ful and  sure  studies  from  life,  and  there  are  ample  opportunities 
for  the  artist  to  exercise  his  imagination  in  this  direction.  An 
examination  of  his  illustrations  reveals  the  vigorous  and  careful 
spirit  of  the  draughtsman,  and  an  intelligent  conception  of  the 
themes  he  attempts  to  give  added  life  to.  His  lines  are  firmly 
drawn,  graceful,  and  one  feels  the  anatomy  of  his  figures.  This 
feature  in  his  drawing  can  be  compared  when  studying  the 
strength  of  his  male  subjects,  their  ability  to  act  with  muscular 
movement,  and  the  ease  and  gentleness  of  his  female  figures. 
His  colonial  ladies  are  really  beautiful  types  of  health  and  grace, 
in  form  and  drapery.  Indeed,  his  drawings  are  not  unlike 
Louis  Leloir's;  if  anything,  they  are  more  decided,  and,  if 
etched,  would  be  clearer  and  fuller  in  line.  While  in  England 
he  made  many  studies  of  English  country  lads  and  sportsmen, 
which  evidenced  much  spirit  and  energy,  and  a  marked  sym- 
pathy for  the  picturesque  costumes  and  quaintness  of  his  sub- 
jects. They  were  not  caricatures,  but  looked  the  pictures  of 
reality,  homely  and  plain,  yet  wholesome  and  simple,  and  told 
in  a  straightforward  manner  the  "  cut  of  their  cloth." 

While  looking  up  data  for  use  in  his  illustrations  for  George 
Eliot's  "Adam  Bede,"  he  made  many  excellent  water-colors, 


/•'A'J.\A    I.  Ml.KRII.L.  135 

which  wiTc  as  triir  to  ihr  olijccls  as  Uk  \  wi  ir  licf  in  wash  and 
color.  One  liill-paj^c  (.hMwin;^"  shows  the  interior  ol  Hronily 
Arms  Inn,  nicntioni-il  in  "■Ailani  Hcdc,"  as  ihi'  Donnithorn 
Anns.  In  the  orij^inal  siiuh-  one  feels  the  ver)'  air  and  char- 
acter that  pervade  this  historic  hostlery. 

Perhaps  his  best  work  may  be  foimd  in  his  illustrations 
lor  Thackeray's  "  Mahoi^any  Tree"  and  Irvinij's  "Rip  \'an 
Winkle."    Some  of  the  fi<,aires  and  still-Iife  in  the  former  arc 


remarkably  strong  in  drawing  and  grouping,  bringing  to  the 
fore  the  snap  of  the  incidents.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about 
the  sympathy  Merrill  feels  for  Rip  Van  Winkle.  This  story 
gives  him  ample  scope  for  his  imagination,  and  there  is  no 
staginess  or  dramatic  posing  seen  in  his  interpretations.  The 
scene  where  Rip  is  taking  the  j)roffcrcd  wine,  while  it  is 
real  in  action,  conveys  a  new  and  unique  idea  of  the  predica- 
ment in  which  this  unfortunate  and  simple  fellow  finds  him- 
self.   The  bowling  scene  is  also  well  executed,  and  impresses 


136 


FRANK  r.  MERRILL. 


one  with  the  mystery  that  surrounds  these  strange  dwarfs  of 
the  Catskills,  as  one  never  before  felt  it. 

I  would  not  underrate  his  charming  style  and  originality  as 
shown  in  the  edition  de  luxe  of  Miss  Alcott's  "  Little  Women." 
One  feels  that  many  of  the  original  illustrations  reproduced  in 
this  work  would  be  valuable  to  have  lying  around  on  the  cabinets 
or  hung  up  in  the  drawing-room,  where  they  could  be  studied 
as  stories  in  color,  as  well  as  suggestions  of  the  artist's  versatility. 
Among  other  well  known  works  which  Merrill  has  illustrated, 
the  most  important  are  Mark  Twain's  "  Prince  and  Pauper," 
Longfellow's  "  John  Endicott,"  parts  of  "  Lalla  Rookh,"  and  not 
a  few  specialties  for  general  circulation. 

There  have  been  some  good  prints  in  the  market  from 
Merrill's  etched  plates,  and  in  this  branch  of  his  art  he  has  also 
been  successful.  His  first  important  proofs,  exhibited  in  the 
Salmagundi  Club  in  New  York,  brought  him  into  notice,  and 
were  a  source  of  revenue  from  the  start. 

One  of  his  best  plates,  in  point  of  subject  and  execution,  is 
entitled  "  Old  Comrades,"  and  depicts  a  colonial  soldier  leaning 
up  against  a  chair,  examining  his  flintlock  pistol  with  an 
earnest  air.  There  is  no  timidity  in  the  drawing,  nor  is  there 
lack  of  symmetry  in  the  figure  ;  but  if  he  were  to  make  the  same 
subject  over  again,  he  would,  as  he  remarks  himself,  "  let  loose 
some  of  the  shadows  in  the  draperies,  and  open  the  lines  a  little 
more." 

His  portfolio  of  pencil,  pen-and-ink,  and  water-color  studies 
made  during  his  trip  through  Switzerland,  Belgium,  Holland, 
and  France  reveal  a  number  of  studies  rich  in  local  character, 
incidental  to  high  and  low  life,  and  of  no  end  of  interest  to  the 
connoisseur,  the  general  reader  of  books  of  travel,  or  the  child. 

His  contributions  as  author  and  illustrator  have  found  a 
ready  market;  and  his  story  of  "Through  the  Heart  of  Paris," 


/'7^.LVA'  T.  M  ERR  I  I.I,. 


'37 


(graphic  alike  in  inciilciu  ami  pe  n  sketches,  shows  the  hunioious 
as  well  as  serious  sitle  ol  his  observation  ol  men  ami  ihiiij^s : 
tlu-  Seiiu'  tishermen.  (jueer-lookinjj^  men  who  hi'(iiient  the  swim- 
minj^-baths,  Seine  laumlr)-  boats,  llower  markets,  the  horse 
baths,  venders  of  milk,  dojr-barbers,  book-stalls,  soldiers,  chil- 
dren, weildin*^  parties,  cafe  scenes,  and  the  like  are  noted  tlown 
ami  im|)ress  the  reader  with  their  naturalness  and  ([uaintness, 
ami  as  a  imicjue  collection  of  t)  i)es  of  brench  jxiople. 

Mc-rrill  is  a  collector  of  costumes  as  well  as  iiu  idi  nis,  and  in 
his  studio  one  mij^ht  readil)-  iniai^nne  himsclt  in  an  armor)-,  not 
unlike  Gerome's.  These  objects  are  used  to  clothe;  the  beings 
of  his  creation,  and.  as  such,  seem  to  possess  a  greater  xalue. 
Here  is  poor  Rip's  coat;  the  frock  of  a  Derbyshire  farmer,  the 
courtly  dresses  of  bVench  men  and  women  ;  and  the?  hats  and 
caps  of  the  soldiers  and  peasants  of  many  eix)chs,  and  of  [)eople 
who  have  lived  in  novels  and  history. 

Merrill's  illustrations  seem  to  ha\-e  the  feeling  of  paintings. 
They  have  a  tone  and  fulness  of  color,  and  are  carried  to  the  full 
limit  and  capabilities  of  his  vehicles  ;  they  show  also  an  immense 
amount  of  real  work  and  study,  not  as  one  recites  who  learns  a 
lesson,  but  as  if  he  were  solving  a  problem  of  his  own  invention, 
and  gave  the  rules  of  his  process  as  he  went  along.  He  adds 
to  these  qualities  of  the  mind  an  agreeable  feeling  and  interest 
for  the  affairs  of  life  and  the  fancies  of  others  in  poetry  or  prose, 
and  succeeds  in  making  others  see  things  as  he  does. 

The  mental  element  of  his  art,  as  well  as  the  manual,  does 
not  hide  his  instructix'e  force,  the  trend  of  his  being.  It  is  as 
natural  for  him  to  desire  to  draw  as  it  is  for  most  peojile  to 
love  children.  The  effort  is  nothing ;  the  interpretation  and 
sentiment  are  equally  evident  and  easy  to  express  when  he  is 
left  to  follow  his  own  inclination.  His  hardest  work  comes 
when   he   is  commissioned  to  follow  a  set  idea  conceix'ed  by 


'38 


FRANK  T.  MERRILL. 


another.  The  summing-up  of  which  means  that  Merrill  is  in 
no  sense  a  mechanical  draughtsman. 

In  an  acquaintance  which  the  writer  has  enjoyed  with  the 
artist  for  many  years,  there  has  always  been  evident,  on  his  part, 
a  hearty  good  fellowship,  a  warm,  cheerful  disposition,  and,  I 
dare  say,  my  experience  is  indorsed  by  all  who  know  Merrill,  or 
who  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  visit  his  interesting  and  deco- 
rative studio  on  the  hills  of  Dorchester. 


H.  WlXnikOP  IM'IRCE. 


TR.\NQUii.i.m',  indcpenclcncc,  aiul  capacity,  with,  perhaps,  a 
sHght  touch  of  bo)ihoiiiii\  and  nnicli  genuine  poetic  feclinij;-, 
constitute  the  notable  traits  in  Peirce's  make-up  ;  these  essen- 
tials in  an  artist,  coupled  with  cheerful  aspirations,  patient  jjlod- 
din<^,  and  manly  dignity,  will  achieve  good  results,  and  win  the 
applause  and  esteem  of  those  who  know  good  art. 

Peirce  is  a  Boston  boy,  was  born  here  in  1850,  and  received 
his  education  in  our  public  schools.  Immediately  after  gradua- 
tion, he  entered  a  lithographer's  establishment,  and  designed 
and  drew  on  stone.  In  the  meantime  he  was  studying  drawing 
in  the  Lowell  Institute,  and  later  he  entered  the  Museum  of 
Fine  Arts  School  under  Grundmann  and  Dr.  William  Rimmer. 
In  the  summer  of  1881,  he  went  to  Paris,  and  there  studied 
under  Bouguereau  and  Tony  Robert  Fleury.  Here  he  was 
trained  rather  than  influenced,  his  mind  being  impressed  only 
with  the  works  of  Cazin,  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  and  like  artist 
painters.  He  felt  that  great  fidelity  in  expression  was  mere 
manners  if  not  accompanied  by  some  more  poetic  and  lasting 
element. 

He  devoted  his  summers  to  out-of-door  work,  Barbizon  and 
Fleury-en-Biere  possessing  a  charm  for  his  palette,  as  it  had 


140 


H.   WINTHROP  PEIRCE. 


been  before  for  the  masters  of  the  great  French  school.  It  was 
in  the  finest  forest  of  the  empire,  Fontainebleau,  that  he  painted 
his  February  effect,  and  with  sufficient  merit  to  be  well  hung  in 
the  Salon  of  1882.  Here  also  he  caught  the  autumnal  beauties 
of  the  woods,  and  his  second  envoi  was  exhibited  in  the  Salon  of 
1883.  Returning  to  America  in  the  winter  of  1882,  he  opened  a 
studio  on  Park  Street,  where  he  worked  on  his  sketches  until 
the  summer  season,  when  he  sketched  in  the  vicinity  of  Revere, 
a  custom  he  has  kept  up  every  season  save  one.  In  1884  he 
gave  an  exhibition  of  his  works  at  Doll  &  Richards'  galleries, 
and  out  of  sixty  canvases  fifty  were  sold,  an  indorsement  of 
his  ability  highly  gratifying  and  merited.  In  1886  he  visited 
Scotland  and  England,  but  most  of  his  summer  was  passed  in 
that  delightful  old  shire  of  Warwick,  where  he  found  much 
material  of  value  in  the  architecture,  foliage,  atmosphere,  and 
costumes  of  the  husbandmen  of  the  soil,  and  many  bits  of  this 
season's  work  have,  both  in  illustrations  and  color,  fascinated 
the  eyes  of  our  people.  Returning  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  he  soon  after  opened  a  studio  in  Studio  Building,  where 
he  is  located  at  the  present  writing.  In  January,  1888,  he 
exhibited  a  collection  of  his  works  at  Noyes,  Cobb  &  Co.'s 
galleries,  and  appended  will  be  found  a  partial  list  of  his  pict- 
ures, which  will  convey  something  of  an  idea  as  to  his  selection 
of  subjects,  and  the  sentiments  that  pervade  his  mind.  "  In 
the  Happy  Fields;"  "Grandmother;"  "Caesar's  Tower,  War- 
wick Castle  ;  "  "  New  England  Homestead  ;  "  "  Sunny  Mist, 
Valley  of  the  Wye;"  "Smile  of  the  Passing  Day;"  "Old 
Houses,  Warwick ;  "  "  Sunbeams  fill  the  air  with  mirth  ;  " 
"  Falling  Leaves  ;  "  "  Mountains  cn  whose  barren  breast  The 
lab'ring  clouds  do  often  rest ;  "  "  Green  Lane,  near  Stratford-on- 
Avon ; "  "The  Banks  of  Avon;"  "Sister  Cecilia;"  "Clear 
Evening  after  Rain  ;  "  "  Sunset  Splendor  ;  "  "  High  Tide  in  the 


//.   IW'XrHROr  PEIRCE. 


141 


Marshes;"  "  The  Day  and  the  Year  were  I^ate  ;  "  "  Tht'  Lcaty 
Glen;"  "The  Livelong  Daylij^ht  Fails;"  "Barley  ImcIiIs 
where  Poppies  Grow."  and  others  of  like  name  aiul  nature. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  artist's  ran<^e  embraces  landscapes, 
tiLj'ures.  old  architecture,  and  genre  subjects,  and  that  he 
inclines  to  happy  fiekls  and  sunny  mists,  nature's  smiles  and 
shadows,  sunbeams  antl  fallinij  leaves,  and  that  he  is  reverential 
and  poetic  in  his  portrayal  of  nature  and  real  life.    It  cannot  be 


said  that  Peirce  is  a  dreamer ;  he  is  too  conscious  of  facts  as 
related  to  the  soul,  to  stumble  or  grope  about ;  he  may  be  " 
likened  to  a  child,  who  sits  silently  for  a  long  time,  gazing  at  a 
bouquet  of  flowers,  and  suddenly  exclaims :  "  What  makes 
them  so  beautiful?"  His  temperament,  while  it  embraces  the 
epic  and  idyllic,  is  also  thoroughly  eclectic,  for  he  has  painted 
the  infant  with  its  grotesque  toy,  still-life,  and,  indeed,  other 
bits  of  prosaic  yet  interesting  incidents  and  objects.  Peirce  is 
precise  in  work,  though  not  formal  ;  he  paints  with  an  eager- 


142 


H.   WINTHROP  PEIRCE. 


ness  and  a  desire  for  truth,  at  times,  which  might  be  mistaken 
for  exactness,  but  his  perceptions  are  of  the  exquisite  and 
refined  order,  and  he  is  loyal  to  his  sketch,  can  safely  rely 
on  his  imagination  to  complete  his  subject. 

In  one  of  his  pictures,  entitled,  "  The  Day  and  the  Year  were 
Late,  Fleury,"  you  feel  that  there  is  infinite  detail,  so  carefully 
has  he  painted  the  rank  weeds,  the  trees,  and  the  foliage  in  the 
foreground.  This  study  of  flora  is  essential  to  the  incident  of 
the  surroundings,  and  helps  you  to  see  and  feel  that  the  locality 
is  one  of  great  interest.  There  are  traditions  in  the  air  of 
Fleury ;  the  old  trees  were  planted  by  order  of  the  lord  of  the 
manor,  for  the  pleasure  of  his  master ;  Richelieu  lived  near  by, 
and,  earlier  yet,  Henry  II.  and  his  court  summered  here.  The 
"King's  Spring"  is  not  far  away,  where  Louis  XIV.  once 
quenched  his  thirst,  and,  though  time  has  strewn  stubble  in 
the  favorite  paths  and  lanes,  still  there  lingers  about  them  the 
memory  of  the  royal  footsteps  and  courtly  persons,  and  under 
such  influences  has  the  artist  painted  and  given  us  the  detail  of 
his  art  resources. 

Peirce  shows  in  his  art  a  religious  feeling ;  his  Sisters  of 
Charity  are  blessing  the  moment  that  they  can  interest  the  chil- 
dren with  flowers  or  music,  and  the  children  look  with  admira- 
tion and  love  on  the  faces  of  these  noble  women.  The  same 
sentiment  pervades  the  glow  of  his  sunset,  the  autumn  leaves 
and  branches  brown  and  bare,  the  ivy  that  clings  to  the  manor, 
the  pearliness  of  the  morning  sky,  and  in  his  gentle  winding 
rivers ;  all  these  inspire  one  with  his  quiet  religious  sentiment 
and  his  delicate  yet  significant  observations  of  the  Creator's 
works.  How  carefully  he  has  noted  down  in  one  of  his 
sketches  of  the  footbridge  at  Dakewell,  Derbyshire,  the  great 
buttresses  that  rest  in  the  quiet  waters  of  the  river  Wye  ;  you 
wonder  that  a  footbridge  should  be  so  solid,  but  it  was  built 


//.   WIXTHROP  PEIRCE.  "43 

to  resist  the  torrents  of  sprinji^  thai  llow  iVoin  the  Pi-ninr  Ilills; 
lie  has  paintetl  the  character  of  the  roiiiaiuic  spot,  the  old  ■A.'gQ. 
that  seems  to  hover  over  the  limestone  earth,  and  the  siK-er)- 
purple  haze  that  haiiij^s  over  the  distant  hills  ami  dales.  It  is 
an  atjreeahle  atmosphere,  antl  a  lilting-  birthplace  for  such  a 
man  as  Dr.  I  )ar\vin. 

Let  me  draw  a  composite  color-picture  of  IVirce's  works. 
It  woukl  reveal  the  mist  of  the  earth,  a  tangle  of  foliaj^e,  a  faint 
outline  of  fii^un-s,  a  purple  haze  in  the  upper  left  corner,  and 
over  the  x'\<^\\  and  centre  a  )-ellowish  jj^ra)',  while  in  the  faintest 
tracery  imaginable  one  might  detect  the  spirit  of  s[)ring  grace- 
fully moving  into  the  scene,  and  l)ringing  with  ii  a  new  song,  a 
fresh  inspiration,  adding  a  mental  atmosphere,  and  enriching 
the  color  scheme  as  well  as  exalting  the  imagery. 

The  more  I  learn  about  the  painters  of  the  past,  and  the 
more  I  study  their  methods,  the  more  respect  1  have  for  the 
discipline  and  devoutness  which  they  evidenced  in  their  art,  and 
one  cannot  but  feel  that  our  local  artists  are  thinking  and  work- 
ing out  their  problems  with  the  same  love,  light,  and  color  as 
the  old  masters  did,  and,  according  to  their  Ii(Thts  and  surround- 
ings,  they  are  by  no  means  so  vastly  inferior. 

Peirce  would  not  have  been  laughed  at  if  he  were  to  have 
shown  his  picture,  "The  Harvest  Cross,"  in  Haarlem,  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  It  shows  the  delight  of  children,  the 
gladness  of  life,  and  the  )'early  custom  of  the  little  ones.  It 
shows  also  a  feeling  for  beaut)-,  for  the  warmth  of  the  sun,  and  a 
harmony  which  blends  the  incidents  and  nature  into  one.  The 
old  Dutch  painters  might  have  said  tliat  it  was  too  poetic,  but 
they  would  have  praised  it  for  its  likeness  and  for  its  feeling. 

There  is  nothing  hidden  in  Peirce's  art.  It  is  too  sensitive 
to  be  false,  too  honest  to  lie,  and  never  jokes,  though  the  artist 
himself  understands  what  constitutes  good  humor. 


144 


H.   WINTHROP  PEIRCE. 


As  a  member  of  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club,  as  a  companion 
and  guest,  Peirce  is  always  in  earnest,  appreciative  and  genial, 
and  well  posted  in  the  arts  and  literature. 

Among  his  most  important  paintings,  the  following  may 
be  mentioned  as  being  notable:  "The  Gardener's  Daughter," 
J.  Brown,  Esq.,  Boston ;  "  Edge  of  the  Forest,  Barbizon," 
Thornton  K.  Lothrop,  Esq.,  Boston  ;  "  The  Busy  Housewife's 
Evening  Care,"  Louis  Prang,  Esq.,  Boston ;  "  September 
Morning,  Valley  of  the  Seine,"  Miss  W.  Johnson,  Brookline  ; 
"The  Day's  Work  Done,"  J.  I.  Bowditch,  Esq.,  Jamaica  Plains; 
"  In  the  Chapel,"  Mrs.  David  Sears,  Boston ;  "  Hesperian 
Views,  Twilight  Landscape,  Evening  Star,"  Miss  Elizabeth 
Howes,  Boston;  "The  Boat  Field,"  Mrs.  Alexander  H.  Bullock, 
Worcester.  Thirty-two  drawings  illustrating  "  Hiawatha,"  for  a 
frieze  of  carved  oak,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Slater, 
Norwich,  Conn.  ;  "  Harvest,"  figures  binding  sheaves  of  rye, 
Athenaeum  of  Topeka,  Kan.  ;  "  Evening  in  the  Valley,"  Maiden 
Public  Library;  "The  Last  Sheaf,"  Mrs.  Barrows,  Boston; 
"The  Return  of  the  Exile,"  Wm.  H.  Winter,  Esq.,  New  York; 
"  February,  Forest  of  Fontainebleau,"  Thomas  Wigglesworth, 
Esq.,  Boston. 


HENRY  SANDHAM.  R.  C.  A. 


Sandham  was  born  in  Montreal,  in  1842.  seven  years  Ijefore 
the  mob  burned  the  ParHament  House,  and  ten  years  before  the 
metropoHs  was  nearly  destroyed  by  fire,  and  consequently  knew 
old  Montreal,  and  these  events  of  his  young  life  made  a  deep 
impression  on  his  mind.  His  father  and  niother  were  English, 
and  gave  Henr)-  a  good  education  at  the  Normal  School.  The 
father  was  a  man  of  practical  ideas  ;  he  started  life  by  leaving 
home  when  but  nine  years  of  age,  and  was  educated  in  the  West 
Indies,  and,  after  following  the  sea  for  a  number  of  years,  settled 
in  Montreal,  taking  up  commercial  pursuits.  He  was  a  success- 
ful and  self-reliant  man,  and  business  was  his  natural  element. 
It  happened,  when  Henry  was  a  boy,  that  an  old  portrait-painter 
"got  in"  with  his  father,  and,  having  hard  luck  in  his  profession, 
occasionally  borrowed  half  a  crown  of  Mr.  Sandham,  "  to  finish  a 
portrait  with,"  when  in  reality  he  applied  his  money  for  liquor, 
and,  as  the  sequel  proves,  made  himself  obnoxious  to  every  one, 
and  the  ambitious  Henr)'  in  particular,  who  had  a  taste  for  art. 
When  Sandham  left  school,  his  father  retired  from  business, 
bought  a  farm,  and  offered  his  son  a  clear  deed  of  all  the  cattle 
and  the  farm,  if  he  would  take  hold  and  work,  and  not  become 

145 


146 


HENRY  SANDHAM,  R.  C.  A. 


"  a  drunken  artist,  kicking  about  and  borrowing  money."  The 
son  refused  the  offer,  whereupon  the  irate  father  informed  him,  in 
a  terse  manner,  to  shift  for  himself.  The  mother,  an  aesthetic 
lady,  always  busy  on  some  fine  bit  of  needlework  or  embroidery, 
or  training  the  flowers  and  vines  to  grow  into  open  windows, 
took  the  boy's  part,  but  of  no  avail ;  so,  in  a  kindly  yet  resolute 
manner,  the  father  and  son  parted,  Henry  striking  out  for  Mont- 
real to  seek  his  own  livelihood.  There  was  no  art  in  Canada  at  the 
time,  the  nearest  approach  to  it  being  photography ;  this  was 
better  than  farming  to  our  determined  youth,  and  he  found  em- 
ployment as  messenger  boy  in  the  best  photographic  establish- 
ment Montreal  could  boast  of.  Here  he  toiled  and  worked  his 
way  up  until  he  stood  an  equal  partner.  His  facile  brush  in  fin- 
ishing portrait  work  and  directing  others  how  to  work  brought 
the  concern  into  wide  notoriety,  insomuch  that  the  productions 
of  his  house  received  the  highest  awards  in  the  World's  Exhibi- 
tion, and  the  special  gold  medal  was  awarded  to  his  own  work 
in  the  Philadelphia  exposition.  While  he  was  with  this  house, 
he  painted  portraits,  two  of  which  made  him  conspicuous  in 
Canada  as  a  robust  and  vigorous  painter.  These  were  the  full- 
lengths  of  Howe  and  Johnson,  the  great  provincial  politicians. 
These  two  portraits,  with  one  of  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  are  the 
only  ones  now  hanging  in  the  Senate  Chamber  at  Halifax.  Be- 
side portrait  work,  Sandham  had  painted  a  number  of  marine 
pictures,  Canadian  barges  and  river  craft  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
with  considerable  skill  and  interest. 

His  works  attracted  the  attention  of  O.  R.  Jacovi,  a  trained 
and  thorough  artist,  once  court  painter  in  Germany,  before  the 
consolidation  of  the  German  Empire ;  also,  Adolph  Vogt,  the 
cattle-painter,  whose  death  by  smallpox,  in  New  York,  will  be 
regretfully  remembered ;  also,  John  A.  F"razer,  a  strong  colorist, 
and  C.  J.  Way,  a  finished  water-color  painter.    These  artists 


IIEXRV  SAXni/AM,  R.  C.  A. 


147 


aided  Sandham  by  the  catholicit)'  of  their  spirits,  and  by  work- 
ing with  them  he  gained  rapidl)  in  his  stuches. 

In  18S0.  Sandham  was  one  ot  ihe  few  selected  to  loiin  tlie 
R()\ai  Canathan  Academy,  and  11.  R.  II.  Princess  Louise  con- 
ferred an  honor  upon  him  by  sekrcting  his  picture,  "  Beacon 
Light,  St.  Jolin  Harbor,"  for  the  National  Ciallery  collection  in 
Ottawa. 

Sandham  worked  hanl  for  his  success,  and  from  marines  he 
went  to  landscape,  hoping  in  this  phase  to  hnd  an  outlet  for  his 


expression ;  but  it  was  not  satisfying.  Then  he  took  up  cattle ;  but 
these  did  not  appeal  strongly  to  his  nature,  and  it  was  only  the 
human  figure  in  which  he  could  realize  his  hopes  of  accomplish- 
ing anything  to  his  purpose.  There  was  no  life  school  in  which 
he  could  study,  so  he  engaged  his  family  physician  to  give  him 
a  course  in  physical  anatomy,  and  for  three  years  he  labored  in 
his  spare  hours,  building  up  his  own  skeletons,  and  clothing 
them  with  the  overlying  muscles  and  tissues.  After  a  time  he 
took  to  modelling  in  clay,  as  the  only  way  in  which  he  could  draw 


148 


HENRY  SANDHAM,  R.  C.  A. 


his  figures;  and  thus  unconsciously  he  was  working  in  the  direc- 
tion of  many  of  the  masters. 

When  he  left  Canada  for  England,  in  1880,  the  demand  for 
his  works  was  so  great  that  he  had  nothing  to  carry  with  him 
to  show  his  manner  of  painting,  although  several  of  his  pictures 
had  preceded  him  to  London.  In  London  and  Paris  he  worked 
with,  and  associated  among,  the  strongest  artists,  and,  after  a 
time,  by  a  careful  process  of  reasoning,  concluded  that  he  would 
let  all  business  go,  and  adopt  art  as  his  profession.  With  this 
intention,  he  came  to  Boston,  and  severed  his  business  connec- 
tions with  his  partners,  which  means  that  he  sacrificed  many 
years  of  laboi*  and  many  thousands  of  dollars  for  his  art. 

He  worked  along  slowly  at  first,  refusing  the  generous  offer 
of  Miss  Hunt,  sister  to  the  late  Wm.  M.  Hunt,  to  gather  a  class 
for  him,  his  ambitions  centring  on  important  individual  work, 
requiring  close  application,  which  should  give  him  a  name  in  the 
new  field  of  his  labors.  His  ability  to  work  in  most  every  branch 
of  the  arts  soon  brought  him  into  notice,  and  he  was  selected  by 
the  Century  Company  to  illustrate  Helen  Hunt  Jackson's  famous 
article  on  Lower  California.  This  was  followed  by  other  impor- 
tant commissions,  the  most  notable  being  parts  of  "  Lalla 
Rookh,"  "  Lenoir,"  "  Sermons  on  the  Mount,"  published  in 
London  and  Boston,  and  many  special  publications.  Sandham 
spent  five  months  in  and  about  Southern  California,  and  among 
the  Franciscan  Missions,  and  retains  all  of  the  sketches  of  figures 
and  scenery  mentioned  in  Mrs,  Jackson's  work  entitled  "  Ro- 
mona."  Li  these  illustrations  there  is  a  peculiar  charm,  fitting 
accompaniments  to  the  singing  melody  of  the  poet's  words.  He 
caught  the  local  color,  the  character  of  the  old  churches,  and  in- 
spired his  work  with  a  sympathy  and  feeling  for  the  traditions 
which  permeated  the  very  atmosphere.  His  figures  of  the  priests 
and  monks,  with  their  long  flowing  robes,  were  picturesque 


n j:\Ry  s.i.\7)//,i.]/.  a\  c.  a. 


'49 


ami  full  (if  movement,  ami  he  iln  w  with  v  ij^or  ami  largeness  ol 
vision  the  j^anlens  at  San  Juan  Haulisia,  where  the  folia<je 
cautjht  the  sunli«iht ;  ami  he  seemed  speciall)'  deliirhted  w  iili  an 
o|)|)()rtunit}-  to  make  stroni;  and  rich  effects  in  lij^ht  and  shade. 

Samlham  is  always  busy,  and  is  capacitated  b)-  nature  to  carry 
on  a  number  of  works  at  the  same  time.  Vor  instance,  while  en- 
gatjed  on  his  portraits  antl  illustrations,  he  was  collecting  mate- 
rial for  iiis  "  Dawn  of  Libert)  ,"  a  large  canvas,  j)rompted  by  Mr. 
C.  A.  Wellington,  a  i)atriotic  citizen  of  Le.xington,  ami  which  now 
hangs  in  the  town  hall  of  Lexington,  Mass.  No  one  can  know, 
who  has  not  had  like  experience,  the  infinite  toil  and  study  re- 
quired to  successfully  compose  and  finish  such  a  historical  work. 
Beside  the  accuracy  of  detail,  parts  of  which  necessitated  a  visit 
to  England,  the  study  of  literature,  early  visits  to  Lexington  for 
dawn  effects,  collecting  arms  and  costumes,  drawing  his  figures 
nude  and  clothing  them  afterward,  and  the  like,  the  artist  w-as 
called  upon  to  paint  nature  without  regard  to  the  battle,  which 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  best  landscapes  ever  painted  in  this  city. 
The  work,  in  all  points,  was  exceedingly  interesting,  and  made 
Sandham's  reputation  more  solid  than  ever  it  was  before. 

In  portraiture,  Sandham  has  made  a  great  stride,  his  recent 
work  in  this  direction,  of  Dr.  Duryea,  pastor  of  the  Central  Con- 
gregational Church,  of  Boston,  being  his  most  important.  He 
has  made  a  noble  figure,  dignified  and  w-ell  composed.  He 
gave  the  expression  and  character  of  the  preacher  with  unusual 
force  and  freedom,  and  an  original  setting.  He  painted  the 
bigness  of  his  theme,  and,  while  the  accessories  were  noticeable, 
they  were  not  exalted  above  his  subject.  The  conception,  in  its 
entiret)',  was  grand,  and  was  deservedly  well  received,  and  was 
a  departure  from  the  usual  conventionalities  of  portrait  poses. 
Among  his  other  strong  portraits  is  that  of  Robert  Swan,  whicli 
hangs  in  the  W'inthrojj  School,  in  this  city. 


HENRY  SAND  HAM,  R.  C.  A. 


In  Sandham's  art,  nervous  energy  and  the  pictorial  elements 
predominate.  Coupled  with  these  qualities  is  a  lively  imagina- 
tion, which  is  stimulated  by  good  reading,  good-nature,  good  liv- 
ing, and  a  wholesome  love  for  out-of-door  life.  Of  his  technical 
skill  and  executive  aptitude,  it  may  be  said  that  both  are  equally 
balanced;  he  is  of  the  Courbet  type,  with  the  exception  that  he  is 
more  gentle  in  subject  and  treatment.  He  appreciates  Rousseau 
for  his  poetry  and  purity,  but  he  cannot  follow  him  in  his  silent, 
tender  earnestness ;  he  longs  for  the  bustling  affairs  of  life,  the 
historic,  brilliant,  and  stirring  events,  animated  scenes  in  nature, 
and,  in  his  sphere,  makes  his  own  distinctive  mark.  His  draw- 
ing and  color  show  artistic  effect,  compatible  always  with  his 
subject,  literal  sometimes,  but  not  in  the  sense  of  rotation  ;  say, 
rather,  that  he  is  courageous,  and  that  in  his  fidelity  is  discern- 
ible a  desire  to  transfer  the  object  itself,  with  all  that  he  com- 
prehends of  its  inner  life,  on  to  the  canvas.  Sandham  is  a 
genuine  good  fellow,  and  his  pictures  carry  weight  with  the 
masses,  who  can  read  his  kindly  temperament  on  his  canvases. 
There  is  nothing  immured  about  Sandham's  work.  He  develops 
more  by  contact  with  nature,  and  need  not  rehash  his  sketches. 
In  fact,  his  works  clearly  establish  this  fact,  for  they  always  show 
the  freshness  of  his  eye  and  a  genial  smile,  reflections  of  fre- 
quent visits  to  nature's  shrine. 

Sandham  attributes  a  great  share  of  his  success  to  the  art 
instincts  and  hearty  cooperation  of  his  wife,  Agnes  A.  {n'ee 
Fraser),  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1865.  Mrs.  Sandham  is  an 
able  writer  and  contributor  to  our  best  magazines,  and  inherits 
her  father's  gifts  in  this  direction,  he  being  a  noted  contribu- 
tor of  papers  on  the  Chartist  movement  in  England,  and  whose 
pen  and  tongue  were  always  used  on  the  side  of  the  peaceful  and 
legal  reform  party. 

Sandham  is  a  member  of  the  Paint  and  Clay  and  Boston  Art 


IIEXRY  SAXD/f.lM,  R.  C.  A. 


Clul).  ami  has  cotitrihutcel  his  works  to  inan\-  h^cal  as  well  as 
Acailcmy  ami  oihi  r  outside  exhibitions.  Among  his  most  im- 
portant works,  hrsidcs  those  mentioned,  the  following  is  but  a 
small  list:  '•  Ciatherini;  Sea-Wrack."  Cieorire  Hairue,  manager 
Merchants'  Hank,  Montreal ;  "  Return  from  the  Hunt,"  Juds^c 
McMahon.  Toronto;  " Salmon-I^'ishing.  Godljout."  Allen  Ciil- 
mour,  Hs(j..  Ottawa :  "Beacon  Light,  St.  John  Harbor,"  Cana- 
dian National  Gallery,  Ottawa;  "On  Montreal  Mountain," 
bought  by  Ontario  Society  of  Artists  ;  "  Happy  Moments,"  F. 
Wolferston  Thomas,  manager  Molson's  Bank,  Montreal;  "Zuni 
Chiefs,"  Mrs.  Mary  Hemenway,  Boston  ;  marine  subject,  Anson 
P.  Stokes,  New  York;  "Camp  Steps,  Camp  Harmony,"  Dean 
Sage,  Albany ;  portrait,  James  Bogle,  Boston;  portrait,  Henry 
W.  Wellington,  Newton,  Mass.  Water-Colors:  "Santa  Bar- 
bara," Mr.  A.  Hemenway.  Boston;  "Shelter  Island  Landscape," 
Professor  Horsford,  Boston;  "At  San  Gabriel,"  Mrs.  Caroline 
M.  Severance,  Boston;  "Fishing  Camp.  Restigouche."  C.  F. 
Lawrence,  New  York ;  "  Salmon-Fishing,"  W.  II.  Sage,  Ithaca, 


FRANK  HILL  SMITH. 


To  write  a  concise  history  of  the  arts  of  Boston,  the  compiler 
would  be  oblio"ed  to  consult  with  Smith,  for  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  its  best  efforts  for  upward  of  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
He  was  born  in  this  cit)',  in  1842,  is  a  f^raduate  of  our  schools, 
and  has  q^rown  up  with  the  best  social  elements  and  influences 
the  city  can  boast  of.  We  find  him,  as  early  as  1859,  studyino;- 
architecture  with  Hammatt  Billings,  and  it  was  durino"  his  connec- 
tions with  Billings  that  his  mind  was  filled  with  the  poetic  senti- 
ments of  that  master.  Billino-s  was  an  artist  of  refined  tastes, 
subtle  fanc)',  and  versatile  talents,  and  was  known  by  his  exquisite 
drawings  for  illustrations  of  Keats  and  Tennyson,  as  well  as  his 
architectural  and  monumental  designs,  which  were  full  ot  imagi- 
nation and  inventive  power.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
Smith  gained  an  immense  amount  of  knowledge  from  such  an 
association,  and  that  he  was  active  in  an)-  art  event  of  the  times. 
Frank  Hill  .Smith,  A.  H.  Bicknell,  and  Mark  Fisher  were  about 
the  onh'  artists  who  drew  from  the  antique  at  th(;  Athenaeum, 
and,  after  stud)-ing  at  the  Lowell  Institute  a  while.  .Smith,  in 

153 


154 


FRANK  HILL  SMITH. 


conjunction  with  Bicknell  and  Fisher,  started  the  first  life  school 
ever  opened  in  this  country.  His  connection  with  the  old 
Allston  Club  was  of  value  to  him,  for  he  mingled  with  such 
artistic  spirits  as  "  Tom  "  Robinson,  William  Furnace,  and  Hunt, 
and  his  artistic  nature  was  recognized  and  appreciated  by  these 
pioneers  of  good  art  in  America.  In  1865  he  visited  Europe, 
and  in  that  year  entered  the  atelier  Suisse,  in  Paris,  and  after- 
ward studied  with  Bonnat  and  other  noted  French  painters.  For 
five  years  Smith  worked  seriously  for  his  advancement,  and  his 
progress  was  sufficient  to  warrant  the  splendid  juries  of  the 
Salons  of  those  days  to  accept  his  works.  While  in  Paris,  he 
painted  minute  figures,  full  of  detail  and  of  interest,  of  such  merit 
as  to  attract  the  attention  of  Goupil,  the  French  dealer,  who 
purchased  several  of  them.  From  Paris  he  went  to  Belgium 
and  Holland,  remaining  there  several  months,  from  there  to 
Venice,  where  he  became  absorbed  with  the  architectural  beau- 
ties of  the  city,  and  made  innumerable  drawings  of  details  at  St. 
Mark's  and  other  notable  old  buildings. 

In  1 87 1,  Smith  returned  to  Boston,  and  began  to  paint 
portraits,  his  scope  having  enlarged,  and  his  feelings  for  grander 
masses  of  color  having  been  augmented.  His  early  works  were 
conspicuous  for  their  rich  color  and  fine  conception  of  composi- 
tion, and  these  features  of  his  art  were  jusdy  appreciated.  After 
a  time  he  took  to  painting  figures  and  landscapes  ;  indeed,  he 
alternated  from  one  to  the  other,  as  his  fancy  inclined. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Smith,  Bicknell,  Robinson,  Cole, 
Hunt,  Waterman,  and,  later  on,  Vinton,  and  one  or  two  others, 
had  pretty  much  the  swing  of  art  in  Boston  for  several  years, 
and  it  is  well  for  the  arts  of  to-day  that  they  did.  They  were 
constantly  together,  working  like  brothers  in  the  cause,  and 
their  interests  seemed  to  be  closely  united.  Would  there  was 
the  same  unity  among  our  artists  of  to-day. 


FRANK  HILL  SMITH. 


155 


Smith,  Robinson,  and  Hunt  used  to  paint  a  great  deal 
tog-ether;  in  fact,  they  formed  a  triumvirate  club  to  "  sass  one 
another's  pictures,"  as  Hunt  termed  it.  Both  Hunt  and  Robin- 
son recognized  the  splendid  color  in  Smith's  works,  and,  upon 
one  occasion,  when  Smith  painted  a  picture  of  a  donkey,  from 
one  of  Hunt's  drawings,  and  asked  Hunt  to  finish  it.  Hunt 
remarked,  "  Y) — n  it,  Frank,  I  can't ;  it's  good  enough."  He  did, 
however,  dash  in  some  high  lights  and  add  to  the  anatomy,  after 


which  both  artists  signed  it,  and  in  the  Hunt  sale,  several  years 
later,  the  picture  sold  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

While  Smith  was  in  Europe  he  made  many  drawings  and 
studies  of  noted  continental  interiors,  and  with  the  purpose  of 
future  use  in  architectural  paintings  and  practical  construction. 
He  studied  the  methods  of  the  architects  and  painters  of 
Holland,  Belgium,  Italy,  and  France ;  indeed,  he  associated  with 
the  strong  men  of  Europe,  who,  by  the  way,  were  always  pleased 


156 


FRANK  HILL  SMITH. 


with  his  ready  suggestions  with  the  pencil ;  and  accumulated  a 
vast  and  interesting  store  of  art  knowledge  and  characteristic 
sketches. 

About  twelve  years  ago  he  was  called  upon  by  one  of  his 
picture  clients  to  suggest  a  scheme  for  the  interior  finish  of  a 
house  which  was  in  the  course  of  construction,  and,  with  his 
usual  ardor,  set  to  work  to  make  something  effective  and  impor-  i. 
tant,  and  out  of  the  common  style  of  things.  He  started  on 
friezes  and  displaced  the  tedious  cornice  with  a  design  from  the 
plaster  casts  given  him  by  the  Centennial  committee  of  judges, 
of  which  he  was  a  member.  These  casts  were  made  by  the 
Spanish  government,  as  a  part  of  their  display  in  the  exposition, 
and  consisted  of  different  parts  of  the  Alhambra  and  Alcazar, 
and  other  forms  of  Moorish  decorations. 

Smith  made  models  of  these  casts  and  had  them  placed  on 
the  walls,  giving  great  satisfaction.  Afterward  he  used  the 
principle  upon  which  these  casts  were  made,  and  designed  a 
ceiling  and  other  ornamentations  for  the  same  house.  This 
was  a  new  departure  in  Smith's  art  application,  and  was  really 
the  starting  of  his  career  as  an  interior  decorator,  and  he  has 
worked  with  wonderful  success  in  this  direction.  After  two 
years  he  gained  a  reputation,  and  then  Lefarge,  Tiffany,  and 
other  artists  began  to  work  in  the  same  direction  ;  but  Smith 
was  the  leader  of  the  revolution  of  artistic  interior  decorating 
in  this  country.  Since  his  first  effort  he  has  gained  such  recog- 
nition that,  to-day,  he  has  an  enviable  reputation  in  this  impor- 
tant field  of  art  work. 

It  would  make  a  long  list  to  enumerate  the  important  com- 
missions he  has  executed,  but  there  are  some  which  are  really 
worth  noting.  Young's  Hotel  is  one  of  his  most  conspicuous 
public  works,  and,  though  among  his  first  efforts,  is  still  pointed 
at  with  pride  by  our  citizens,  and  in  this,  had  he  not  been  handi- 


FRAXA'  HILL  SMITH. 


'5/ 


capped,  it  uoiilcl  have  been  (.'ncii  more  heaiitilul.  The  stroni;^ 
feature  of  the  dinintJ^-rooin  i)f  this  hotel  is  its  dignity  and 
strength  of  construction,  coupletl  with  an  intelhj^cnt  conception 
of  what  ijood  ina\-  be  obtained  Ironi  lorni,  color,  and  line  when 
thought  out  with  an  idea  of  compensations  or  tone  harmonies. 
Without  going  into  details  of  materials  used,  or  their  distribu- 
tion, we  may  say  that  the  artist  decorator  really  established  a 
new  era  in  decoration,  which  has  spread  all  over  our  land.  Of 
the  work  that  he  has  performed  in  churches,  theatres,  and 
private  houses,  there  is  much  to  write  about;  but  we  must  gen- 
eralize on  the  artist's  creative  ability,  in  an  article  of  this  nature, 
rather  than  go  into  minute  detail. 

Smith  is  a  born  artist,  knows  and  feels  the  power  of  color 
and  form  balancing,  and  is  eminently  able  to  grasp  his  ideas  as 
units,  and  obtain  from  them  grand  and  beautiful  harmonies. 
These  expressions  apply  equally  well  to  both  his  paintings  and 
architectural  and  interior  works.  In  his  paintings  one  can  see  a 
tremendous  vigor  of  handling,  not  so  much  in  the  way  the 
paint  is  applied  as  in  the  force  of  its  contrasts  and  relations. 
His  colors  look  as  if  they  were  first  hewn,  and  then  polished 
and  set  into  their  places;  they  are  not  of  the  blocky  construction, 
but  rather  like  mosaics  in  their  affiliation  one  with  another. 
This  being  the  fact,  it  is  impossible  to  find  anything  he  ever 
painted  that  has  the  appearance  of  fussiness ;  such  a  sure 
method  of  applying  the  pigments  keeps  the  colors  pure  and  the 
light  and  decorative  qualities  clear  and  certain.  In  one  of  his 
recent  paintings,  that  of  Venice,  the  clouds  are  tinted  by  the 
rising  sun,  seen  in  the  clear,  morning  atmosphere  overhead, 
seemingly  balanced  over  the  dome  of  the  Santa  Maria  della 
Saluta.  while  a  mist  is  spread  over  the  water,  reaching  into  the 
perspective,  half-way  up  the  side  of  the  edifice  ;  there  is  evidently 
a  spiritual  or  ethereal  feeling  in  this  w^ork,  which  is  remindful  of 


158 


FRANK  HILL  SMITH. 


some  of  the  best  French  artists'  pictures  more  than  any  other 
school  I  know  of.  It  is  a  mysterious  reahty,  if  that  can  be  pos- 
sible, and,  if  there  is  a  dreamy  feeling  about  it,  it  is  the  dream  of 
a  strong  man.  It  is  full  of  stirring,  heroic  poetry,  and  is  vitally 
impressive  ;  a  gondola,  just  emerging  from  the  mist,  adding  to 
the  interest  of  the  work  as  a  picture.  There  is  a  delicious,  fatty 
quality  in  his  colors  which  have  aged,  and  this  test  of  the  chem- 
istry of  his  color  and  the  mechanism  of  his  eye  is  a  very 
noticeable  one.  You  cannot  fall  to  sleep  over  his  work,  every 
part  of  his  canvas  vibrates  with  life,  a  sort  of  nervous,  mental, 
and  physical  force  not  unlike  in  its  effect  on  the  eye  to  a  certain 
class  of  refined,  full  orchestral  music  on  the  ear.  If  Smith  were 
just  beginning  to  paint,  and  possessed  the  same  amount  of 
knowledge  that  he  does  of  art,  I  feel  that  he  would  take  as  his 
masters  Rousseau  and  Decamps,  possibly  Delacroix.  Of  these 
great  masters  he  is  particularly  fond,  and  his  unerring  judgment 
of  their  works,  as  well  as  of  others  of  the  great  Barbizon  school, 
has  entitled  him  to  a  worthy  censorship,  which  art  patrons  have 
readily  availed  themselves  of. 

Smith  finds  much  repose  from  his  many  undertakings,  in 
keeping  up  his  painting ;  indeed,  he  could  not  be  comfortable 
without  trying  to  give  expression  in  color  to  the  pictures  that 
are  constantly  in  his  mind,  and  from  his  numerous  sketches. 
In  the  decorative  world  he  is  equally  at  home  as  in  his  painting, 
he  revels  in  de  luxe  materials,  fabrics  rare  and  costly,  Japanese 
inlayings  and  carvings,  bric-a-brac ;  the  arts  of  the  Orient 
entrance  his  eyes  ;  the  tracery  of  the  India  crafts,  the  hand- 
tooled  leather  of  the  Moors,  and  the  superb  handiwork  of  the 
masters  of  the  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  sixteenth  centuries  come 
under  his  eye  for  study  and  suggestions ;  he  copies  nothing, 
imitates  no  one ;  his  work  is  original  and  inspiring.  He  is 
quite  able,  without  undue  praise,  to  execute  any  commission, 


FRA.VK  HILL  SMITH. 


•59 


ami  to  tlircct  the  erection  ami  decoration  of  an  imperial  i)alace  ; 

him  the  workmrn  r(|iial  to  his  dcmaiuls  is  ail  he  needs,  he 
is  biij  enout>fh  to  master  the  work  in  haml.  The  lamented  Tom 
Robinson  once  said  of  Smith  as  an  artist  that  "he  paints  big; 
what  I  mean  to  say,  he  feels  color  and  decorative  thinirs  in  a  Imij 
way."  No  one  will  gainsay  "  Tom's  "  ability  to  judge,  and,  as 
Smith  holds  a  position  as  an  equal  with  the  three  best  decora- 
tors in  the  country,  the  statement  scarcely  needs  any  further 
comment.  Among  the  important  pictures  Smith  has  painted, 
there  miorht  be  mentioned  the  followine :  "  Venice,"  in  tht;  Som- 
erset  Club  collection  ;  another  view,  owned  by  William  Clatlin's 
heirs;  "St.  Mark's,"  in  the  Isaac  Fenno  collection;  and  other 
works,  in  the  possession  of  Martin  Brimmer,  Esq.,  and  others. 

In  the  way  of  architectural  and  interior  designing  and  con- 
struction, the  following  works  are  well  worth  mentioning:  Union 
League.  New  York ;  Union  Club,  Chicago ;  Christ  Church, 
Cambridge  ;  and  many  private  dwellings  in  New  York,  Boston, 
and  Chicago.  His  present  public  work  is  the  charge  of  the 
interior  architectural  designs  and  the  decorations  of  the  steamer 
Puritan,  now  being  built  for  the  Old  Colony  Steamboat  Company. 


1).  j.  STRAIN. 


Strain  is  one  of  New  Hampshire's  sons,  and  may  ]^v  added 
to  a  loni]f  list  of  now  noted  artists  who  have  s[)rui\t^'  up  ainon<j 
the  hills  of  our  New  h^ni^land  towns.  Consistent  with  the  laws 
governini^  his  surroimdin<i^s,  rural  simplicity,  Strain's  early  days 
were  passed  not  unlike  nine-tenths  of  the  average  country 
lad's ;  and,  while  he  was  not  guided  toward  any  pretentious 
calling  b\'  his  parents,  still  he  inclined  to  the  artistic  side  of 
matters  ;  and,  having  the  instincts  of  art  within  him,  he  was  not 
slow  in  taking  advantage  of  his  o{)portiinity  when  it  came 
to  him. 

Chancing  one  day  to  fall  in  with  an  artist  who  was  painting 
some  rather  interesting  heads,  Strain  was  at  once  captured  with 
the  process  and  results,  and  with  intense  delight  plunged  into 
his  new  vocation.  I  think  it  was  about  thirteen  )ears  ago  that 
I  first  met  him,  in  his  studio,  Lawrence  Building.  At  that  time 
he  had  been  in  Boston  but  a  little  while,  and  was  just  com- 
mencing to  realize  an  income  from  his  ideal  crayon  heads  of 
children,  which  were  photographed,  and  had  become  popular 
all  over  the  country. 

In  July,  1877,  Strain,  accompanied  by  W.  E.  Norton,  left 
Boston  for  Paris,  where  he  entered  Julien's  studio,  and  contin- 

161 


l62 


D.  J.  STRAIN. 


ued  a  student  there  for  five  years,  save  one  year,  when  he 
studied  in  Jackson's.  During  his  summer  vacations  he  made 
extensive  trips  through  Holland,  Spain,  and  Belgium,  and  one 
of  his  winters  he  spent  in  Morocco.  In  the  fall  of  1883,  after 
an  absence  of  over  six  years,  he  returned  to  this  city,  and 
opened  a  studio  in  the  Evans  House,  where  he  has  remained  up 
to  this  date.  Previous  to  his  departure  for  Europe,  Strain 
studied  out  the  problem  of  his  future  career  in  art,  and  con- 


cluded that,  while  it  was  a  good  thing  to  be  successful  in 
crayon  work,  he  had  much  rather  perfect  himself  in  all  the 
branches  of  art.  This  was  an  important  and  progressive  step, 
and  one  requiring  a  remarkable  degree  of  pluck ;  for  to  leave  a 
lucrative  revenue  and  commence  a  life  of  close  application  to 
the  rudiments  of  art  was  an  ambition  involving  great  financial 
as  well  as  vital  expense.  The  result  of  his  endeavor  is  well 
known,  and  his  expenditure  of  time  has  proved  to  be  a  valuable 
investment. 


1\  J.  S  TRAIX. 


Strain  is  endowed  with  an  intense  love  of  the  ideal,-  not  of 
the  dreamy  or  ilraniatic  sort,  hut  rather  of  the  (|iiict  and  i)erf(?ct 
type.  He  sees  the  ideal  line  ami  form  of  objects  in  life  antl 
nature,  and,  with  a  refinetl  antl  delicate  method,  paints  the  love 
that  is  within  them.  These  traits  are  noticeable  in  his  first 
Salon  picture,  honored  with  a  position  on  the  line,  entitled 
"  Les  Deux  Amis."  It  would  seem  impossible  for  the  artist  to 
ever  again  rise  above  this  marvellously  beautiful  conception  of 
childish  purit)-  and  innocence.  Here  is  a  simple,  rustic,  barefoot 
girl  standing  in  a  field  path.  She  holds  a  spray  of  wheat  in  her 
hand,  which  a  pet  lamb  is  nibbling.  The  figure  is  life-size,  is 
tender  in  color,  and  the  face  is  full  of  love  and  gentleness. 
This  work  will  be  made  famous  by  an  etching  which  Strain  has 
published,  in  which  he  shows  consuinmate  skill  as  an  etcher,  his 
lines  being  delicate  yet  firm,  and  his  drawing  sure  and  clean. 
His  painting  entitled  "  Fleurs  des  Champs,"  depicting  a  little 
girl  asleep  in  the  field,  is  another  really  absorbing  work.  "Zora- 
hayda"  also  calls  for  special  comment.  In  this  work  he  shows 
a  )-oung  Moorish  maiden,  a  princess,  standing  in  the  princesses' 
tower  of  the  Alhambra,  sadly  gazing  out  toward  the  mountains 
in  the  direction  of  Cordova.  The  picture  is  one  sweet  harmony 
of  thought  and  color,  and  is  impressive  in  the  sense  that  it  is 
pure  and  elevated  in  character,  as  well  as  being  well  drawn  and 
composed. 

In  portraiture.  Strain  carries  the  same  passion  for  ideality 
which  is  evidenced  in  his  pictures  ;  that  is,  while  he  obtains  a 
likeness  of  the  individual,  he  adds  to  it  his  personality,  grace  of 
movement,  conscientious  treatment,  and  an  insight  into  the 
best  side  of  the  human  attributes.  He  thus  shows  his  knowl- 
edge of  technique  and  other  essentials  necessary  to  every  artist 
in  depicting  the  wonders  of  color  and  expressions  seen  in  the 
human  face.    I  have  noticed  in  his  portrait  work  that  he  leans 


D.  J.  STRAIN. 


toward  the  home  side  of  his  subject,  the  side  where  we  best 
know  our  friends,  and  that,  it  strikes  me,  is  the  most  satisfactory- 
way  of  looking  at  men  and  women,  and  that  is  where  we  prefer 
to  see  the  subject  and  the  portrait.  The  bustle,  the  overwrought 
expression,  and  the  violent  life  of  the  commercial  man  is  really 
the  unnatural  condition,  is  not  the  most  lasting  or  best,  conse- 
quently the  social  character  of  a  man  or  woman  is  the  truest 
and  best  for  portraiture,  being  full  of  repose,  and  showing  all 
there  is  of  internal  light  and  sincerity. 

Strain  works  for  beauty  of  accessories  as  well  as  for  a  por- 
trait likeness.  He  feels  that  the  composition  must  be  full  of 
graceful  lines,  quiet  forms,  and  local  color  ;  that  these  must 
melt  into  the  surroundings  as  helps  to  his  figure,  and  not  show 
as  mere  objects  or  still-life. 

A  careful  study  of  Strain's  portraits  will  disclose  how  mi- 
nutely he  observes  the  relations  and  influences  of  the  textures 
of  fabrics  with  the  flesh  tints,  how  the  shadows  and  lights  are 
made  to  harmonize,  and  with  what  care  he  adjusts  the  little 
things  so  often  passed  over  or  neglected  by  other  painters. 
This  earnestness  to  complete  and  make  as  good  a  portrait  as 
he  can  has  given  Strain  his  present  reputation. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  mention  the  list  of  his  strong  works  in 
portraiture.  They  begin  with  children,  several  of  which  have 
been  shown  in  our  local  exhibitions  and  in  the  Salon,  and  fol- 
low with  those  of  young  ladies,  ladies  in  full  costume,  and  gen- 
tlemen of  all  ages,  from  the  college  graduate  to  the  wise  old 
merchant,  the  poet,  and  the  general.  His  latest  work,  a  three- 
quarters  length  of  General  N.  P.  Banks,  is,  perhaps,  his  greatest 
achievement,  being  a  lifelike  and  characteristic  piece  of  painting, 
and  one  which  gives  the  true  interior  force  of  the  subject  with 
an  intelligent  comprehension  of  his  vitality  and  exterior  expres- 
sion and  color. 


11  J.   S  TKA/.V. 


165 


To  nnind  out  in  lU'tail  the  many  cslinialile  qualities  of  our 
subject  ami  his  work  would  Ix-  simply  tautolo<;ical.  it  ix-iuL; 
evident,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  Strain  is  one  whose 
mature  judsj^ment  and  knowledj^e'  are  found  in\aluabK'  amoni^ 
the  jurymen  of  the  Hoston  Art  Club,  that  he  is  held  in  csiccm 
by  his  fellow-members  of  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club,  antl  that  he 
is  a  g^ood  citizen  as  well  as  painter. 


W.  L.  TAYLOR. 


Mr.  Tavi.or  is  an  artist  who  paints  in  water  monochromes 
for  illustrations.  He  was  born  in  Grafton,  Mass.,  and,  after 
leaving  school,  being  artistic  in  his  temperament,  he  took 
up  mechanical  drawing,  the  nature  of  which  kept  him  in  the 
open  air,  an  employment  congenial  and  much  needed  at  the 
time,  on  account  of  previous  confinement  and  ill-health.  By 
degrees  he  gained  in  perception  and  facilities,  and,  while  a 
member  of  the  Artists'  Leagrue  in  New  York,  he  determined 
to  work  out  his  ideas  in  the  higher  branches  of  art.  Applying 
himself  for  a  time  with  his  usual  earnestness,  he  became  ill 
again,  and  was  forced  to  relinquish  his  work,  and  went  to  W'or- 
cester,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  until  recovery.  It  was  in 
1 88 1  that  he  came  to  Boston,  with  more  ambition  than  pennies, 
and  set  up  a  small  studio  on  School  .Street. 

Few  artists  appeal  to  a  larger  or  more  appreciative  audience 
than  the  serious  illustrator.     He  deals  with  the  subtleties  of 

167 


W.  L.  TAYLOR. 


light  and  shade.  It  is  his  province  to  give  the  force  and  char- 
acter of  color  without  using  pigments,  and  he  stands  equal  with 
all  other  masters  of  art,  and,  like  the  painter  artist,  he  must  be 
a  student  of  nature  and  look  beyond  the  surface  of  things. 
To  portray  the  events  in  black  and  white,  and  give  life  to 
the  figures,  to  give  the  relative  darks  and  weights  of  color,  to 
grasp  the  intent  of  the  author,  —  more,  to  add  truth  to  the 
author's  verse,  —  requires  a  mind  certainly  equal  to  the  poet, 
and  a  remarkable  facility  to  execute  and  make  thoughts  tangible. 

Take  the  works  left  to  us  by  the  greatest  of  illustrators, 
such  as  Durer,  Meryon,  Claude,  Hogarth,  Rembrandt,  and 
Dore.  All  of  these  were  elegant  draughtsmen,  and  full  of 
imagination.  They  could  be  forcible  or  delicate,  grand  or 
simple,  as  the  subject  required.  Their  temperaments  entered 
into  their  works,  and  according  to  their  temperaments  so  were 
they  gifted  in  expression  ;  that  is,  each  one  gave  the  imprint 
of  his  own  virility. 

Mr.  Taylor's  temperament  is  of  the  poetic  order,  and  one  can 
form  but  a  small  idea  of  the  draught  made  upon  his  vitality  and 
imagination  by  looking  over  the  publications  he  has  illustrated. 

It  is  in  the  portfolio  of  his  works,  rather  than  in  the  repro- 
ductions, that  we  will  find  out  the  power  of  the  artist,  and  we 
will  escape  the  errors  of  the  printer,  the  engraver,  and  the 
process  men  when  we  study  each  one  of  the  originals.  Here 
we  find  his  mental  and  creative  ability  to  be  remarkable,  and 
his  themes  taking  a  wide  range.  It  is  evident  that  he  devotes 
no  end  of  time  to  the  study  of  costumes,  places,  times  of  men, 
expressions,  poses  of  figures,  historical  data,  textures,  subtlety 
of  flesh,  atmosphere,  anatomy,  and  grace  of  composition.  All 
appear  in  unity  with  his  theme,  and  he  gives,  sometimes,  the 
obscure  idea  of  an  author  whose  mentality  he  lifts  by  the  straps, 
as  it  were,  with  a  substantial  mental  and  manual  effort. 


ir.  L.  TAYLOR. 


169 


The  portfolio  is  o|K'n  ;  here,  at  first  sij^hi.  is  a  fij^urc;  chul  in 
a  costume  worn  about  the  seventh  centur\ .  There  is  a  buckle 
which  Mr.  ra\It)r  knocketl  all  over  luiro|)e  to  Inul  ;  it  inij^^hi 
have  been  discovered  in  a  library  book,  but  that  woukl  bi;  no 
one  knows  how  man)'  removes  from  an  orii^inal.  Ww.  fiijure  is 
of  a  youni^  man.  and  is  drawn  with  few  lines  and  visibU;  skill. 
\et  the  motlellinjj^  is  remarkably  strouLj.  showinj^  a  minimum 
outlay  of  labor,  and  more  eflective  than  1  have  seen  in  some 


figures  on  noted  canvases.  The  subject  is  taken  from  Tc  nny- 
son's  "The  Holy  Grail,"  and  it  is  a  delicate  introduction  to  the 
reader  of  a  portrait  of  little?  Sir  Galahad.  There  he  is,  in  liis 
necklace,  tunic,  croppcxl  hair,  belt,  silk  stockings,  and  red  leather 
shoes,  all  in  detail,  real  and  distinguished.  Again,  we  are  in 
the  banquet  hall :  the  strong  light  comes  in  from  overhead,  and 
marks  in  gentle  gradations  the  atmospheric  effects,  as  .seen  on 
the  figures  in  their  various  positions.    The  light  strikes  the 


170 


W.  L.  TAYLOR. 


flesh,  fabrics,  metals,  and  materials  natural  to  the  substance, 
and  you  feel  also  the  construction  of  objects,  the  design  of  the 
interior,  and  the  anatomy  and  bulk  beneath. 

There  are  other  illustrations  here  from  the  same  work,  exte- 
riors and  interiors,  male  and  female  figures,  and  all  of  them 
show  how  patiently,  calmly,  and  devotedly  the  artist  has  worked 
for  the  minutest  detail. 

From  the  "  Earl's  Return "  we  pick  up  the  illustration 
where 

"  The  flakes  of  the  spray  that  were  jerked  away 
From  the  froth  on  the  lip  of  the  bleak  blue  sea 
Were  sometimes  flung  by  the  wind  as  it  swung 
Over  turret  and  terrace  and  balcony." 

Here  is  a  splendid  conception  of  the  force  of  the  water  and 
spray,  and  of  the  grand  old  architecture  of  the  times.  The 
upper  turrets  are  among  the  black  and  angry  clouds,  and  the 
moonlight  flecks  the  projections  of  the  great  pile,  as  it  comes 
through  rifts  in  the  clouds,  adding  to  the  grandeur  and  wonder 
of  the  scene.    Here  is  the  earl's  wife,  who 

"  Sat  'twixt  the  mildewy  beds 
Of  the  sea-surged  flowers  in  the  Pleasaunce  Garden." 

The  facial  expression  of  the  lady,  the  flow  of  lines  in  the 
draperies,  the  loneness  of  the  place,  the  sunlight  playing  about 
in  the  foliage,  are  treated  with  marvellous  power  of  human 
knowledge  and  human  feeling.  The  lady  is  not  a  piece  of  still- 
life.  The  drawing  is  accurate  and  made  from  a  model,  but  his 
model  was  not  a  princess  ;  he  had  to  make  her  one.  This  com- 
prehends the  charm  and  beauty  of  good  art. 

In  another  drawing  we  note  the  happy  features  of  the  mother 
and  child  watching  the  river  and  listening  to  its  song,  and  then 
we  take  up  several  illustrations  from  "  Dora"  and  other  poems 
which  Taylor  has  so  delicately  and  sweetly  painted. 


//:  L.  TAYLOR. 


171 


It  ^volllcl  l)c  well  lor  tlic  stiuU'iit  to  look  over  the  works 
by  Tayk)r,  anil  note  the  actual  labor,  to  say  nothiii*^  of  the 
thouirht  and  skill,  displayetl  in  them.  Stiuly  the  illustration 
from  "  Dora,"  depictint^  a  q^entle  landscape  and  a  pathwa)-, 
which  leads  )-ou  through  a  wicket  to  the  house  beyond, 

"...  wliere  farmer  .Vllcii  at  llic  farm  abode." 

Despite  the  engraver's  renderinsf,  the  eye  can  readily  take 
in  the  .sweetness  of  the  scene  in  tlie  graceful  lines  and  forms. 
It  contains  itself,  antl  no  more  could  be  added  nor  could  any- 
thing be  taken  from  it.  Remove  the  distant  spire,  slightly 
suggested  as  it  is,  and  you  lose  a  note  that  breaks  the  harmony. 
The  labor  of  the  hand  in  drawing  and  perhaps  redrawing  this 
illustration  must  have  been  great,  simple  as  the  picture  may 
appear. 

We  have  seen  in  his  works  the  significance  of  the  emotions 
of  hate,  of  love,  of  pride  and  valor;  we  have  .seen  the  rural 
maid,  the  simple  child,  old  age,  the  men  and  women  of  the 
court  and  of  the  field  ;  innumerable  costumes,  architecture,  an 
armory  of  equipments,  and  all  depicted  in  a  very  small  space. 
A  high  intellectuality  pervades  every  touch,  and  by  its  religious 
power  the  poet  is  brought  nearer  to  the  people,  and  if  I  were  to 
select  an  artist  to  illustrate  the  Book  of  Ruth,  I  know  of  no  one 
better  qualified  by  nature  or  by  his  arts  than  Taylor. 

There  is  no  dash  or  jumbling  in  any  of  the  drawings  we 
have  looked  over  —  all  is  technically  fine,  clear,  and  direct  in 
results  —  nor  does  it  appear  that  any  formula  is  used,  but, 
rather,  that  the  dominating  features  of  his  art  lie  in  his 
instincts  to  paint  w'hat  ought  to  be,  his  ability  to  give  expres- 
sion to  his  refined  thoughts,  and  his  literal  intimacy  and  rela- 
tions w^ith  everything  he  attempts  to  illustrate.  Hard  w^ork  is 
evident,  and,  coupled  with  a  poetic  impulse,  he  is  enabled  by 


1/2 


IV.  L.  TAYLOR. 


very  close  application  to  sustain  himself  evenly  to  the  finish. 
Taylor  frequently  finds  relief  from  his  work  in  using  water- 
colors,  and  I  have  seen  many  of  his  interiors  ;  one,  in  particu- 
lar, I  have  in  mind,  where  the  light  is  seen  stealing  into  the 
windows  of  a  blacksmith  shop,  threading  over  and  under  and 
around  every  object,  and  where  the  color  also  is  seen  in  the 
light.  There  is  the  same  frankness  and  reserve  in  the  drawing 
noticeable  in  his  black-and-whites,  and  the  local  impression  of 
the  interior  is  rendered  with  a  strong  and  careful  touch. 
Nothing  is  overdone,  there  is  no  strangulation  of  color; 
lines  and  forms  are  put  in  where  they  belong,  and  not  at 
random. 

The  point  that  can  be  claimed  for  Taylor's  work  is  that  it  is 
work,  and  that  it  is  inspired  work.  A  painter  or  sculptor  is  not 
greater  than  this  ;  his  material  cannot  make  him  great. 

Taylor  is  a  member  of  the  Paint  and  Clay  Club,  and,  socially, 
is  an  agreeable  and  gentlemanly  person,  common-sensed  in  his 
views  of  affairs,  pleasant  in  conversation,  and  is  well  informed 
in  literature.  He  walks  an  even  life,  always  accompanied 
by  the  respect  and  love  of  those  who  are  fortunate  in  his 
acquaintance. 


ROSS  TURNl-R. 

URNER  has  completely  identihc'd  himself 
with  the  arts  of  Boston,  ihoui^h  he;  has 
been  among  us  onl)-  six  years.  It  is  not 
alone  by  his  works  that  he  has  so  effect- 
ually endeared  himself,  we  can  easily  trace 
his  popularity  to  a  strono-  personality  and 
a  willingness  to  help  ;  pointing  the  way  and 
giving  hope  and  courage  to  the  student 
who  is  ambitious  and  willing  to  learn. 
None  will  gainsay  the  truth  of  this  introduction  to  Ross  Turner. 
He  was  born  at  Westport,  N.  Y.,  on  the  west  side  of  Lake 
Champlain,  June  29,  1848.  The  vicissitudes  of  his  first  fourteen 
)  ears  were  not  of  a  nature  to  make  them  pleasant  to  his  mem- 
ory, for  they  were  of  a  routine  business-like  character,  though 
the  stolen  hours  of  recreation  on  the  lake  and  the  kindly  influ- 
ences of  his  home  compensate  somewhat  for  the  trade  intervales. 
He  took  up  mechanical  drawing  when  he  left  school,  and  this 
occupation  prepared  him  to  lift  up  the  veil  between  his  desire  to 
study  nature  and  the  opportunity  to  exercise  it,  for  he  gain(;d  in 
facility  and  knowledge  in  handling  the  pencil  and  the  use  of 
water-colors.    In  1876,  he  went  to  Munich,  and  there  began  his 

173 


174 


ROSS  TURNER. 


study  of  painting,  and  found  congenial  friends  in  the  American 
colony  which  had  obtained  a  considerable  footing  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Duveneck,  Chase,  Shirlaw,  Frank  Currier,  and  others. 
He  visited  Florence,  Rome,  and  Venice,  and  in  those  warm  lati- 
tudes for  the  first  time  saw  the  life  and  animation  of  color  as  he 
had  pictured  it  in  his  early  fancies. 

Seven  years  of  study  and  close  relationship  with  the  arts  of 
Europe  fortified  his  knowledge,  and  fixed  his  palette  and  style 
into  permanent  shape,  and,  with  a  desire  to  practise  his  art  in 
his  native  land,  he  came  to  Boston  in  1883,  and  established  a 
studio  in  12  West  Street.  No  sooner  had  he  set  up  his  easel 
than  he  was  appealed  to  by  amateurs  for  instruction,  and  just 
here  it  may  be  stated  that  he  is  amply  qualified  in  disposition  to 
direct  the  hand  of  the  beginner,  possessing  those  rare  qualities, 
patience  and  sympathy,  and  is  never  frustrated  by  the  short- 
comings of  the  student,  doubtless  considering,  the  while,  that 
he  too  is  a  student  in  art. 

Upon  the  event  of  his  marriage,  in  1885,  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Salem,  where  he  has  a  picturesque  studio,  but  he  al- 
ways retains  his  city  studio  for  his  classes,  and  is  now  located  on 
Boylston  Street. 

Turner's  advent  into  Boston  was  under  flying  colors ;  Venice 
and  its  atmosphere,  always  so  remarkable  for  its  clearness,  giv- 
ing to  objects  a  brightness  of  color  and  distinctness  of  outline 
unknown  to  any  part  of  Northern  Europe  or  America,  illumi- 
nated our  galleries  and  club  exhibitions,  and  his  fresh  manner 
in  making  his  pictures  very  decorative  attracted  considerable 
notice  and  patronage.  His  strong  hold  in  art  may  be  said  to 
be  in  his  decorative  and  artistic  arrangement  of  colors,  agreeable 
groupings,  and  his  intense  love  of  nature,  coupled  with  a  healthy 
poetic  imagination.  Dallying  somewhat  with  music,  poetry, 
history,  and  social  life,  he  alternates  in  his  delineations  of  the 


ROSS  TURNER. 


'75 


arts,  and  wi-  fiinl  him  i)aintini,r  luual  architecture  of  the  ICliza- 
bethan  period,  fissures  from  some  poi-m,  wiKl  llowers  of  i-ver)' 
clime,  boats  and  ships,  still-hfe  rehcs  of  some  story,  or  other- 
wise reminiscently  interesting, —  and  all  the  while  using  every 
known  vehicle  to  convey  his  interpretations. 

W  hile  I'urner  can  depict  the  color  and  texture  of  the  petal  and 
helj)  ){)u  to  love  the  sensuous  (lower,  while;  he  can  portra)'  the 
lights  that  tremble  in  the  upper  air.  among  the  sunlit  clouds  and 


azure  blue,  and  bring  them  nearer  to  your  view  as  he  spreads 
their  subtleties  over  the  earth,  while  he  calls  our  attention  to 
the  character  of  the  Roman  Villa  and  the  Murrano  Isle,  and 
pictures  the  resplendent,  quivering,  dazzling  masses  of  oriental 
twilight  fire,  —  still  he  sees  the  rugged  anatomy  of  our  sombre, 
picturesque  coast,  and  interj)rets  the  gray  frowns  that  wrinkle 
our  water  fronts,  ami  through  all  of  these  transitions  he  is  the 
same  susceptible  painter,  and  by  nature  the  poet,  with  a  peace- 
ful sunglow  in  his  heart. 


1/6  J^OSS  TURNER. 

His  drawing  is  always  interesting,  and  he  has,  with  a  few 
Hnes,  given  us  the  suggestion  of  a  hillside,  with  figures  moving 
to  and  fro ;  only  a  small  part  of  the  canvas  or  paper  is  used,  the 
rest  is  left  in  one  tone  and  yet  there  seems  to  be  no  vacancy. 
This  shows  that  he  comprehends  the  value  of  light  and  shade 
and  the  phenomena  of  color.  This  feature  of  his  art  is  evident 
in  his  Venetian  pictures  and  flower  studies,  more  than  in  his 
paintings  of  New  England  scenery,  the  reason  being,  no  doubt, 
that  he  feels  the  vitality  of  the  warmer  atmosphere  and  hot  color. 

^  In  his  latest  works,  as  shown  at  Doll 
xy/^  &  Richards'  gallery,  in  February,  there 
were  many  examples  painted  in  his  best 
style.  Here  were  two  large  water-colors 
which,  taken  in  their  entirety,  he  has 
never  surpassed.  In  "  In  the  Summer 
Time,"  he  depicts  a  natural  growth  of 
semi-wild  flowers  in  their  simple,  unaf- 
fected beauty,  growing  in  a  rural  garden. 
The  genial  sun  rays  mellow  the  air  and 
warm  the  colors  on  the  little  cottage  that 
nestles  in  the  fragrance  of  the  blossom- 
ing vine  and  foliage.  There  are  two  figures  in  the  garden, 
and  these,  with  the  worn  and  winding  path,  tell  of  human  life 
and  movement.  All  is  quiet  save  that  the  insects  are  hum- 
ming in  their  own  realm,  and  the  birds  are  joyous  in  their 
songs  not  far  away.  One  feels  a  desire  to  be  neighborly  and 
gently  push  his  way  through  the  tender  flowers  and  bushes,  and 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  life  within  the  cottage.  There  are  some 
splendid  intervales  of  light  and  shade  and  color  balancing  in 
this  picture,  the  poet  reads  to  us  his  own  work,  we  become 
enlightened,  he  has  told  off  his  rhyme  and  we  are  made 
conscious  of  the  beauty  of  that  simple  country  garden.  His 


ROSS  rrK.\7:K. 


^77 


"November"  is  a  iiuiet  transcript  of  iiaturi-.  the  lii^ht  is  in 
and  about  tin-  scene,  penetrating  beneath  the  rank  o^rasses  of 
the  marsh  land,  and  brino;in<>  to  \ie\v  the  burial-places  of  the 
once  happy  insects,  and  tlu'  sut^^rcstive  browns  in  the  shadows 
where  the  tides  come  ant!  iro.  The  warmth  of  summer  has 
i]^one,  but  Turner  iloes  not  make  you  rejj^ret  it  ;  Ik:  invites 
)Ou  to  listen  to  the  more  plaintive  melody  of  this  serene  mo- 
ment. In  ever\'  painting  there  was  shown  a  simple  and  poetic 
description  of  what  he  sees  and  feels  in  nature. 

Turner  is  best  seen  antl  felt  in  his  water-colors.  With  this 
medium  he  excels  in  graphic  ability  and  tact,  and  finds  more 
freedom  and  a  readier  vehicle  for  his  imagination;  that  is, 
being  of  a  sensitive  nature,  he  requires  sensitive  vehicles  to 
work  with,  the  body  pigments  confining  him  too  much  in  them- 
selves, and  in  their  use  he  loses  his  easy,  delicate,  and  rapid 
touch. 

It  is  a  satisfying  pleasure  to  study  Turner's  work ;  it  is  so 
honest  and  enthusiastic  that  it  buoys  you  up,  revives  your 
spirits  ;  like  good  wine  it  intensifies  your  thoughts,  and  you  can- 
not despond.  His  power  of  expression  carries  brilliant  and 
luminous  color  into  the  pleasant  company  of  his  thoughts. 
There  is  no  labor,  no  over-study,  no  riot  of  contrasts  and  rela- 
tions, no  more  nor  less  than  there  is  in  nature.  His  intimacy 
with  flowers  gives  him  the  power  to  interpret  their  language  to 
us.  His  vision  is  always  receptive  to  that  which  is  refined,  and 
his  art  is  consistent  without  being  too  methodical.  He  can 
draw  every  detail,  but  prefers  to  give  us  the  movement  of  color 
and  form  without  showingr  us  the  wheels  in  the  works  ;  we  know 
they  are  there,  the  life  is  always  evident.  He  has  a  lively  ap- 
preciation of  others'  w'orks  and  can  criticise  without  finding 
fault,  a  trait  that  at  once  sets  him  down  as  being  unavailable 


178 


ROSS  TURNER. 


for  public  use,  but  as  a  more  important  factor  in  quietly  elevat- 
ing and  encouraging  his  brother  artists.  As  in  his  art  so  is  he 
in  the  social  world,  and  his  domestic  felicity  inspires  him  to 
a  happy  view  of  this  life.  Who  can  say  that  the  biographer 
has  overdrawn  the  portrait? 


FREDERICK  PORTER  VINTON,  A.  N.  A..  S.  A.  A. 


Like  the  portraits  that  he  paints,  Vinton  is  an  interesting 
stud\-  in  himself.  He  was  born  in  Baniror,  Me.,  1846,  and 
amongst  the  liard\-  lumbermen  and  the  bustling  commerce;  of 
the  great  shipping  port  of  the  Penobscot  li\-ed  the  first  ten 
years  of  his  life.  His  parents  then  moved  to  Chicago,  where 
he  went  to  school,  and,  in  his  off  hours,  worked  in  a  shetl  his 
father  had  built  for  him,  painting  ornamental  signs  and  dashing 
off  pastels  for  amusement  and  possible  profit.  At  fifteen  years 
of  age  the  family  moved  to  Boston,  where  young  Vinton  was 
obliged  to  find  mercantile  employment,  and  entered  the  house 
of  Gardner,  Brewer  &  Co.,  in  1 861,  at  a  salary  of  fifty  dollars 
a  year.  Failing  to  see,  after  the  first  year,  wherein  bundle 
carr)  ing  and  porter's  work  could  ever  lift  him  into  a  partnership, 
he  left  this  house  and  went  into  the  employ  of  C.  V.  Hovey  & 
Co.    An  incident  occurred,  while  he  was  engaged  in  his  duties 

179 


i8o     FREDERICK  PORTER  VINTON,  A.  N  A.,  S.  A.  A. 


here,  which  really  shaped  his  future  career.  It  chanced  one  day 
that  the  halyards  of  the  Union  flag  which  the  firm  had  patrioti- 
cally hung  across  the  street,  it  being  war  times  then,  had  caught 
on  a  skylight,  and  Vinton  was  told  to  go  up  and  release  them. 
While  thus  engaged  he  looked  into  the  skylight  of  Wm.  M. 
Hunt's  studio,  and,  becoming  fascinated  with  the  picture  on  which 
Hunt  was  at  work,  "The  Listener,"  he  laid  down  and  quietly 
enjoyed  the  scene.  The  next  day  he  took  his  drawings  and 
crayons  to  Hunt  and  submitted  them  to  him.  Vinton,  the 
boy,  stood  before  Hunt,  the  master;  and  his  long,  white,  flowing 
beard  and  searching  eyes,  enough  to  impress  a  strong  man,  set 
Vinton  into  a  tremble.  "  Let's  see  your  work,  come  in,"  said 
Hunt,  shutting  the  door  and  continuing  his  interrogations. 
"So  you  think  you  want  to  be  an  artist?"  and,  crossing  the 
room,  he  took  up  an  antique  cast,  and,  holding  it  up,  said, 
"What  do  you  see?"  Vinton  replied,  "A  white  piece  of 
plaster."  "Yes  ! "  vehemently  responded  Hunt,  "  a  white  against 
a  dark  —  black  and  white,  you  see.  Now,  how  white  and  how 
dark  it  is  are  the  salient  points  of  art ;  take  it  home,  bring  me  a 
copy  in  crayon."  Vinton,  with  much  hope  and  eagerness,  and 
a  joy  within  him  because  he  had  talked  with  a  great  artist,  went 
his  way.  After  a  time,  he  brought  back  his  study,  and  Hunt 
stood  awhile  looking  at  the  drawing,  then  turned  about,  and, 
slapping  Vinton  on  the  back,  said,  "  You've  as  much  art  as  I 
had  when  I  started  ;  go  ahead."  To  Hunt,  Bicknell,  Fisher, 
Cole,  "Tom"  Robinson,  and  John  B.  Johnston,  Vinton  owes 
much  for  his  early  encouragement,  and  is  always  happy  in 
acknowledging  their  aid. 

Vinton  left  dry-goods,  studied  in  a  business  college,  obtained 
employment  in  a  bank,  and  commenced  soon  after  studying  in 
the  Lowell  Institute,  entering  the  life  class  in  his  second  year, 
and  then  began  a  course  of  studies  with  Dr.  Rimmer.    He  was 


FREDERICK  PORTER  17X7 OX,  A.  X.  A.,  S.  A.  A.  iSi 


enablctl,  after  a  time',  lo  opcii  .i  siiulio  in  the  hank  buikling',  and 
there  ilevoted  his  time  in  the  alternoDns  lo  serious  work.  I  le 
soon  j^ainetl  the  esteem  of  Cole  and  Robinson,  who  kindly 
invited  him  lo  exhibit  with  ihvm.  In  1S75,  he  had  savcil 
enough  money  to  ^o  abroatl,  and.  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  was 
ailmitteil  to  Bonnat's  studio,  where  he  studied  from  the  fi<ifure 
until  the  following;  s|)rin!^.  when  b'rank  Diucncck  came  oxer 
Irom  Munich  and  inducc-d  X'inton  lo       back  with  hini.  which  he 


did,  and  remained  there  for  a  year,  studying-  in  the  Academy, 
under  Professors  Wagner  and  Diez,  and  with  Duveneck.  He 
then  returned  to  Paris.  Being  attracted  by  the  work  of  Laurens, 
he  applied  to  him  for  admission  to  his  studio.  Laurens  told  him 
that  only  Frenchmen  could  study  in  his  school ;  but  after 
looking  over  his  work  he  was  admitted,  and  was  at  that  time  the 
only  foreigner  who  was  allowed  in  the  studio,  \\1iile  in  Paris, 
he  painted  the  "  Little  (j)ps)'"  and  a  '"Head  of  a  Neapolitan 


i82     FREDERICK  PORTER  VINTON,  A.  N  A.,  S.  A.  A. 


Boy;"  the  former  was  exhibited  and  sold  in  the  Salon  of  1878, 
the  latter  was  shown  in  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1878. 

In  September  of  the  same  year,  Vinton  returned  to  Boston, 
and  opened  a  studio  on  Winter  Street,  when  he  received  his 
first  important  portrait  commission,  that  of  T.  G.  Appleton. 
This  was  followed  by  one  of  Sam'l  H.  Russell,  Esq.,  Wendell 
Phillips,  and  Causten  Browne,  the  three  latter  being  painted  in 
his  West  Street  studio ;  and  these,  in  order,  were  exhibited  in 
the  Academy  Exhibition  in  New  York,  in  1881,  1882,  and  1883. 
It  was  in  1880  that  Vinton  was  made  an  Associate  of  the 
National  Academy,  and  a  year  later  a  member  of  the  Society 
of  American  Artists. 

In  the  fall  of  1881  he  took  the  lamented  Hunt's  old  studio 
in  Park  Square,  and  there  painted  his  commission  from  the 
citizens  of  Boston,  of  Wm.  Warren,  the  actor,  who  had  just 
retired  after  fifty  years  of  active  stage  life.  In  the  spring  of 
1882,  in  company  with  Wm.  Chase  and  R.  Blum,  Vinton  visited 
Madrid,  and  there  entered  into  his  study  of  Velasquez'  works 
with  great  animation  and  delight.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year,  he  returned  to  Boston  with  his  works,  which,  when  placed 
on  exhibition,  created  a  genuine  enthusiasm  among  the  artists. 

Vinton  now  settled  down  to  portrait-painting,  and  received  a 
number  of  commissions ;  among  the  most  important  being 
those  of  Prof  A.  P.  Peabody,  Judge  Otis  P.  Lord,  and  Judge 
Geo.  F.  Choate.  Both  of  the  latter  hang  in  the  Salem  Court 
House,  that  of  Lord  hanging  beside  Hunt's  portrait  of  Judge 
Shaw.  Is  it  not  interesting,  just  here,  to  note  what  a  man  may 
do  if  he  has  anything  in  him,  and  he  toils  vigorously  from  day 
to  day  to  reach  his  ambitions  ?  Hunt  was  Vinton's  first  master, 
and  Vinton,  by  slow  degrees,  struggles  up  the  steps  his  master 
trod,  and,  in  time,  finds  himself  in  his  studio,  to  take  his  mantle, 
and  is  tnen  honored  by  having  his  work  hung  beside  that  of 


FREDERICK  PORTER  V/XTOX,  A.  X.  A.,  S.  A.  A.  183 


his  deatl  frientl  aiitl  master.  X'iiiton  is  a  worthy  successor  of 
this  trreat  thinker  and  ambitious  artist.  X'inton  has  painted 
Gen.  Charles  Devens.  possil)Iy  his  best  work  thus  far;  also, 
Senator  Geo.  F.  Hoar,  which  hancrs  in  the  Worcester  Law 
Librar)-,  and  many  intluential  merchants  and  society  people  of 
our  cit)',  notable  among  the  former  being  James  H.  Beal,  b^sq. 

It  is  thirteen  years  since  X'inton  made  the  first  exhibition  of 
his  works  in  the  Art  Club  galleries,  and,  in  the  interxal,  lie  has 
more  than  redeemed  the  promise  which  was  predicted  for  his 
future.  At  the  time  of  his  exhibition  in  1875,  the  art  critics  of 
that  date  were  few,  yet  discerninir,  and,  in  referrino-  to  the 
mention  of  his  work,  the)-  seemed  to  feel  that  the  artist's  color 
was  "rich  and  harmonious,"  and  that  his  "  interblending " 
was  "subdued,  yet  full  of  light."  Both  expressions  hold  good 
to-day. 

Vinton  is  a  man  of  marked  characteristics.  He  is  full  of 
vigor,  aggressive,  firm,  yet  judicial  in  his  convictions,  and  recog- 
nizes truth  and  genius  as  readily  in  Ruysdael's  tender  painting 
as  in  Velasquez'  striking  force  and  magnetic  style.  There  is 
also  in  his  composition  an  undercurrent  of  genuine  kind-heart- 
edness and  loyalty  to  the  brother  artists,  as  many  an  artist,  if 
called  upon,  would  readily  attest.  Vinton  as  a  painter  possesses 
the  susceptibility  of  genius,  and  comprehends  the  largeness  of 
his  art.  Out-of-doors  or  in  his  studio,  he  takes  in  the  charms 
of  nature,  still  or  animated  ;  all  there  is  he  feels,  and  the  more 
he  discovers  the  happier  he  is,  and  the  more  likelihood,  when 
he  paints  it.  of  a  grand  result.  It  is  exhilarating  to  study  his 
portrait  of  Judge  Devens,  it  is  so  complete  and  noble,  so  distin- 
guished and  permanently  satisfying.  It  not  only  represents  a 
countenance  and  a  form,  it  gives  you  the  subject's  best  traits, 
his  feelings  and  excellence  of  mind,  and  the  unhidden  force  of 
his  real  nature.    His  color,  too,  is  evident ;  like  Rembrandt's  in 


1 84     FREDERICK  PORTER  VINTON,  A.  N  A.,  S.  A.  A. 


some  of  his  portraits,  it  can  command  or  smile  just  as  the  indi- 
vidual may  care  to  control  it.  His  strength  of  color  is  not  by 
fragmentary  contrasts  ;  Knaus  makes  his  shadow,  in  his  "Swine" 
picture,  strong  and  marked  in  drawing,  and  forces  the  sunlight 
into  his  greens  and  yellows  in  the  upland  clearing  ;  Vinton  illumi- 
nates the  whole  face  and  shadow  evenly  ;  Delacroix  and  Velas- 
quez welded  and  riveted  their  colors  where  they  belonged,  where 
they  would  be  affected  by  internal  changes  of  the  mind  ;  they 
were  both  tremendous,  alike  in  the  handling  of  light  and  shade, 
yet  you  never  see  either ;  Vinton  is  of  this  same  order  of 
painters.  The  vitality  of  flesh  tints  he  paints  with  mental  and 
physical  strength,  and  inspires  his  work  with  a  manly,  not 
effeminate  or  emotional  spirituality.  The  more  wine  and  beef 
or  the  fat  of  good  living  there  is  in  his  subject,  coupled,  of 
course,  with  distinguished  characteristics,  the  more  scope  there 
is  for  Vinton's  mechanism  of  color,  and  the  more  room  for  his 
thoughts.  Vandyck's  work  shows  him  to  be  the  master  of 
luminosity,  quiet,  rich,  and  warm  in  color,  and  as  polite  in  style 
as  the  court  subject  made  it ;  his  draperies  amaze  you  with  their 
simplicity  of  treatment,  grace  of  fold,  and  subtlety  of  texture  ; 
Vinton  appeals  to  your  common-sense  as  well  as  feeling,  and  is 
developed  in  his  work  by  the  amount  of  intelligence  there  is  in 
his  subject.  The  gray  cells  of  his  brain  exert  their  energy,  not  in 
the  same  way  that  a  sensitized  plate  is  impressed  with  an  image, 
which  receives  only  that  which  is  presented  to  its  surface,  but, — 

"As  if,  as  Gothland's  sage  has  told, 
The  hidden  life,  the  man  witiiin, 
Dissevered  from  its  frame  and  mould, 
By  mortal  eye  were  seen." 

I  think  Vinton  would  not  be  able  to  paint  a  child  or  lady  as 
well  as  a  warrior,  statesman,  or  man  of  great  intellect ;  he  needs 
mind  in  his  matter  to  bring  him  out.     I  doubt  not  he  can 


fredi:r/ck  port/'r  r/.v/vx,  ,i.  x. ./  .  .v. a.  1S5 


paint  an  okl  l;ul\ .  lor  \\v  has  wncraiion  well  ilcvclopctl.  and  feels 
insi)ircil  with  the  a^^cii  lace,  knowinj,^  that  it  has  weathered  the 
vicissitikles  of  threescore  years  ami  ten,  in  which,  no  matter 
how  peaceful  and  trantjuil  the  life  might  have  been,  there  have 
occurreil  events  enough  to  make  character.  He  feels  his 
wa\  toward  his  suliject  with  intense  tlelight  and  an.xiety,  but 
iu)t  \\  ith  timitlii\-  ;  he  interprets  for  himself,  in  a  careful  wa)-, 
how  to  fit  the  nature  of  his  subject  to  his  canvas,  and  composes 
with  a  view  to  getting  all  then-  is  out  of  his  subject.  Like  a 
sculptor,  he  wouKl  create  a  man.  1  lis  nature  is  more  remark- 
able for  its  dignity  than  conventional  refinement.  While  one 
sees  in  his  work  a  certain  moral  energy,  yet  one  can  be  surer  to 
find  his  power  best  e.xampled  in  a  fiery  Phillips  than  a  woman 
of  society.  He  must  possess  admiration  for  his  sitter,  he  must 
look  up  to  his  work  in  hand  ;  he  cannot  furnish  brains  for  his 
subjects  if  the)-  have  them  not,  even  though  lie  be  i)aid  for  it; 
he  would  drown  in  a  pond  and  swim  in  an  ocean.  He  might  be 
sustained  by  his  imagination,  he  possesses  enough;  his  intuition, 
indomitable  will,  and  intellectual  force  will  carr)  liim  safely 
through  his  career ;  what  he  has  been  taught  was  good  for  him, 
but  he  would  have  been  a  painter  if  there  had  never  been  one 
before. 

Vinton  shows  splendid  technique,  pronounced  and  correct 
drawing,  and  a  knowledge  of  anatomy.  Nor  are  these  all  the  fine 
qualities  one  can  find  in  his  portraits  ;  he  displays  great  facilit)- 
in  execution,  and  a  heartiness  of  style  as  well  as  originality,  and 
his  color  is  substantial,  sensitive,  elastic,  singularly  clear  and  full 
of  life,  and  normal  in  warmth.  The  breadth  of  \'inton's  art  is 
his  grasp  of  his  subject  and  completeness  of  finish,  and  the 
depth  of  it  is  his  ability  to  give  weight  and  likeness  of  feature 
and  nature.  He  has  studied,  as  \'elasquez  did,  the  Flemish  and 
Italian  masters,  and  has  made  alive  a  style  quite  his  own,  and 


iS6     FREDERICK  PORTER  VINTON,  A.  N  A.,  S.  A.  A. 


about  which  there  is  but  one  opinion,  i.  e.,  that  it  is  permanent 
and  abiding. 

Vinton's  new  studio,  on  Exeter  Street,  is  simple  yet  elegant, 
and,  from  what  one  hears  and  sees,  he  is  kept  quite  busy  the 
year  round  ;  no  more  than  his  due,  for  he  should  be  recognized 
and  deeply  appreciated  while  he  is  among  us.  Vinton  will  take 
his  place  among  the  portrait-painters  of  the  century  as  one  of 
the  most  vigorous  of  his  time. 


MARCUS  WATERMAN,  A.  N.  A. 


If  there  is  ever  to  be  any  local  pride  in  the  hearts  of  Amer- 
ican citizens  over  the  fact  that  a  master  painter  was  born  in 
their  midst,  then  Providence,  R.  I.,  will  some  day  boast  of 
her  claim  on  Waterman's  nativity.  It  was  in  her  public  schools 
he  received  his  education,  and  fitted  for  Brown  University,  of 
which  college  he  is  a  graduate.  From  his  earliest  days  he  has 
possessed  natural  instincts  for  art  and  decoration,  and  his 
apprenticeship  and  service  in  interior  work,  with  distemper 
colors,  aided  him  in  his  facilities  for  handling  the  more  subtle 
pigments.  His  art  career  really  started  in  New  York,  where  he 
passed  thirteen  years  of  his  life,  and  the  remainder,  save  several 
years  abroad,  he  has  lived  in  this  city. 

Waterman  has  never  studied  under  a  master,  except  those  of 
the  Venetian  and  Dutch  schools,  as  exampled  in  the  galleries  of 
Europe,  and  by  the  study  of  these  men  he  has  acquired  his 
trade,  and  slowl)-,  yet  surely,  has  he  strengthened  his  power  of 
perception,  and  developed  his  scheme  of  the  work. 

Waterman,  as  an  artist,  is  both  analytic  and  synthetic,  and, 
as  a  painter,  comprehends  the  chemistry  and  relations  of  color ; 
hence  the  actual  tones  and  light  always  evident  in  his  work,  and 

187 


i88 


MARCUS  WATERMAN. 


hence  its  beautiful  decorative  qualities.  Such  a  colorist  would 
naturally  be  very  fond  of  Peter  de  Hooge,  Titian,  and  all  of  the 
early  Italian,  Flemish,  and  Dutch  painters. 

Endowed  with  a  remarkably  active  and  technical  mind,  and 
being  a  careful  student  in  all  things,  we  find  Waterman  an  able 
critic  of  literature,  an  original  writer,  a  keen  observer  of  the 
exterior  and  interior  relations  of  human  affairs,  measuring  out 
common-sense  and  wholesome  love  in  his  art  and  conversation. 

He  never  jumps  at  conclusions  ;  as  in  affairs  of  life,  so  in 
his  art:  he  tarries,  he  waits  for  proof,  he  waits  for  the  time  when 
he  shall  say,  "  With  this  painting  I  am  satisfied,  though  I  ought 
to  do  better  if  I  paint  another."  This  is  progressive  art,  and 
its  sentiment  might  well  be  applied  to  the  efforts  of  all  think- 
ing men. 

Waterman's  ideas  of  art  in  language,  as  well  as  in  his  paint- 
ings, are  interesting,  and  it  may  be  as  well  just  here  to  quote 
some  of  his  expressions. 

"Art,"  he  says,  "is  not  the  imitation  of  nature;  it  is  the 
representation  of  nature,  which  is  a  very  different  matter. 
Take  music,  for  example.  When  a  musician  takes  the  singing 
of  birds  for  a  theme,  as  very  many  of  them  have,  he  doesn't 
content  himself  by  imitating  with  his  instrument  the  half-dozen 
phrases  that  are  all  that  the  bird  can  utter.  The  lowest  savage, 
who  cannot  count  beyond  his  ten  fingers,  who  can't  conceive 
any  idea  beyond  his  daily  wants,  he  will  imitate  the  notes  of  a 
bird  so  perfectly  as  to  deceive  the  birds  themselves.  But  when 
the  artist  makes  his  bird-song,  when  he  excites  your  imagi- 
nation with  the  beautiful  harmonies  that  play  about  his  theme, 
when,  by  the  power  of  his  genius,  he  calls  up  in  your  memory 
the  beauty  of  summer,  the  glory  of  golden  light,  the  tinkling  of 
little  brooks  in  shady  places,  and  dominant  above  all  the  joyful 
ringing  notes  of  the  bird,  the  expression  of  wild,  uncontrollable 


J/AKC'l'S   WATJiRMAN.  189 

happiness,  yoii  don't  say  any  lono^er.  '  That  is  just  like  the  sinjrincT 
ot  birds,"  —  you  sa\',  '  I  ne\  er  knew  before  how  beautiful  the  sinj^- 
int:^  of  birds  was  ; '  and  this  is  because  it  is  not  nature  that  you 
have  been  listenins^  to.  but  one  little  stave  of  the  great  song 
of  art." 

"  Do  )"ou  think  1  am  asking  too  much  of  tin;  painter  if  I 
rc(|uire  that  when  )()u  look  at  his  can\as.  instead  of  crying  out. 


'  This  is  just  like  nature,'  you  shall  say,  '  How  beautiful  nature 
is  '  ?    That,  at  least,  is  m)'  idea  of  the  province  of  art." 

Again,  in  speaking  of  "  realism,"  he  says :  "  Realism,  fortu- 
nately, does  not  exist,  the  realists  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing. People  have  persuaded  themselves  that  to  represent 
common  and  vile  things  is  to  be  realistic  ;  but  if  realism  did  or 
could  exist,  I  think  art  would  die  out  in  a  generation." 

Let  us  now  look  over  Waterman's  paintings,  and  note  his 
interpretations  or  representations,  and  selections  of  subjects. 


igo 


MARCUS  WATERMAN. 


We  shall  not  discover  any  "  pot-boilers  ;  "  he  has  never  been 
able  to  paint  them,  though  he  has  tried.  They  always  ended 
by  being  as  good  as  he  could  make  them.  We  find  him  paint- 
ing the  peaceful  and  poetic  drama  of  animal  and  human  life,  of 
fiction  and  tradition,  of  the  silent  woods  and  the  unspeakable 
glory  and  wonderful  color  scheme  of  the  sky  and  earth.  In  all 
of  these  he  counts  with  rhythmic  cadence  the  symbolical  utter- 
ances of  creation,  and  fixes  his  anatomy  with  spiritual  force  as 
well  as  knowledge.  He  never  leads  you  astray;  he  illuminates 
his  shadows  with  color,  paints  with  repose  and  ease,  and  lets  in 
an  atmosphere  vital  and  clear  around  and  over  his  objects. 

Here  is  Maroof  standing  alone  in  the  desert.  The  hot  white 
sand  at  his  feet  extends  to  the  horizon,  and  above  him  the  blue 
sky  vibrates  with  sunlight.  Overhead  are  seen  the  vultures, 
watching  the  lone  Arab.  Despite  the  fact  that  Maroof  is  alone, 
abandoned,  you  feel  that  he  will  some  day  come  to  you,  and  tell 
the  stories  of  his  adventures.  Though  forsaken,  the  artist  gives 
him  a  future.  Here  is  another  picture,  wherein  a  lioness,  with 
closed  eyes,  is  lying  outside  her  den,  in  the  glare  of  the  high- 
noon  sun.  Peeping  from  the  rocks  are  two  little  cubs'  heads. 
What  color,  what  perception  is  here  shown  in  the  animal  life ! 
The  lioness,  in  her  serene  enjoyment,  has  forgotten  the  feather 
she  has  played  with,  and  which  lies  under  her  claws.  Sleek 
and  innocent,  one  would  not  dream  there  lurked  ferocity  in 
every  joint,  so  well  all  is  defined.  The  menagerie  is  forgotten, 
the  artist  has  brought  us  to  the  lair  by  his  great  power  and 
imagination.  Here  is  the  elephant,  which,  by  the  way.  Water- 
man models  in  wax  with  great  truth  and  spirit,  with  human 
expression  in  all  his  lines  and  movements.  And  here,  again,  is 
the  history  of  the  dingy  yet  interesting  walls  of  the  Arab's  habi- 
tation. In  another  picture  we  see  the  camels  moving  over  the 
desert,  with  their  old-time  patience  ;  and  again  we  see  a  caravan 


Af.-f  A'  CI 'S  I VA  I'ERMA  X. 


101 


of  Aralis  and  camels,  all  at  rest  in  the  shadow  of  some  t)lcl 
wall.  I  heii  there  are  future  pictures  and  wood  interiors,  sand 
dunes  ami  shore  views,  anil  in  them  all  there  is  someihinj^^  more 
than  the  t)l)servation  of  the  eye,  there  is  tt)  me  more  than 
feelintj.  The  artist's  miiul  is  cver)  where  movinj^  in  and  throuj^h 
each  i)icture.  in  the  same  sense  that  one  knows  that  the  Creator 
is  everywhere  in  his  on-ai  works.  The  artist  is  with  \()U  as  you 
watch  his  (iulliver,  he  is  in  ilu;  slow  procession  windin^r  around 
the  roc's  e<rir ;  he  is  looking'  down 
with  \ou  on  the  g^raves  of  the 
Corsairs,  and  sees  with  you  the 
yfreat  white  flakes  of  sunlitrht  that 
rest  on  the  earth. 

How  quiet  and  sunn\-  was  liis 
"Fountain"  at  Mustapha  Road, 
Algiers  ;  how  full  of  interest  the 
earl\-  orchard  and  gray  village 
path,  a  starlight  view  of  Moose- 
head  Lake,  and  a  companion  in 
the  "  Harvest  Moon  at  Wood- 
ford." Then  there  is  the  bright 
blue  sky  in  the  "  Rue  du  Lion;" 
though  but  a  small  patch,  it  gives 
light  and  contrast,  and  the  goats,  wending  their  way  up  the 
flag  steps,  enjoy  the  atmosphere.  His  warm  lights  mellow 
the  hues  of  the  foliage,  and  lead  your  eyes  into  sympathy  with 
nature,  and  attune  your  heart  to  love  the  glories  of  creation. 
These  are  a  few  of  the  impressions  one  retains  in  studying 
Waterman's  pictures. 

You  cannot  see  how  he  paints,  nor  can  you  separate  the 
unity  of  his  incidents.  The  story  is  before  you,  and  easy  to 
read.     I  am  sure  that  Fromentin,  Decamps,  and  the  rest  of  the 


192 


MARCUS  WATERMAN. 


famous  dead  school  of  French  art,  as  well  as  die  painters  of  the 
sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  would  appreciate  Water- 
man's paintings. 

His  art  lies  in  his  fidelity  to  nature  and  to  himself.  To  him 
an  out-of-door  sketch  is  simply  memoranda  ;  his  retentive  eye 
and  creative  mind  will  make  a  better  work  than  the  real  —  much 
better.  You  will  be  more  charmed  with  the  picture  than  you 
were  with  the  original  place  or  object ;  it  will  put  you  into  a 
more  poetic  mood.  He  forces  you  to  abandon  the  abstract  form 
and  mere  substance,  and  gives  you  in  its  stead  a  spirituality  and 
a  conception  of  the  beautiful  which  is  never  mystical,  and  all  the 
while  you  do  not  lose  the  central  idea  which  the  artist  means  to 
convey.  This  is  why  his  works  are  so  easy  to  read,  and  why 
they  appeal  to  the  highest  intellectuality. 

Waterman  has  not  used  his  gift  as  a  portrait-painter  to  any 
great  extent,  though  I  have  seen  several  which  would  be  well 
worth  the  study  as  comparisons  with  the  work  by  professionals 
in  this  specialty.  His  portraits  do  not  remind  one  of  sculptural 
efforts,  except  in  the  low  relief.  The  modelling  is  all  clear  and 
well  defined  and  the  anatomy  perfect ;  but  their  chief  qualities 
lie  in  their  color  —  living,  flesh-like  color,  sensitive,  pliable,  and 
open  ;  a  shell  of  flesh  and  an  energy  beneath  animating  their 
every  muscular  action.  The  same  welded,  unjointed,  all-together 
feeling  is  as  noticeable  in  his  portraits  as  in  the  faces  of  his 
figure  subjects.    They  are  knowable  and  possible  beings. 

It  would  be  possible,  but  difficult,  to  locate  the  many  pictures 
Waterman  has  painted  and  sold.  They  are,  for  the  most  part, 
in  the  best  collections  in  the  country,  and  I  doubt  if  there  is 
ever  one  of  them  offered  at  auction. 

Socially  Waterman  enters  seriously  and  quietly  into  the  heart 
of  entertainment,  and  prefers  a  select  circle  rather  than  that  of 
the  noisy,  transitory  ways  of  fluttering  society,  whose  days  are  so 


MARCC  S   \\  A  J  HRMAX. 


•93 


full  of  phcnomcnn,  ami  whose  \va)s  an;  so  mcaninjrlcss.  The 
simple  manners  ami  clcsun\'  of  tin-  common  people,  ami  the 
color  that  o^oes  to  make  up  their  existence,  especially  those  of 
the  hot  latitudes,  attract  his  attention  and  j^ive  him  ample 
material  for  the  sincere  ami  cjuiet  practice  of  his  art. 

Waterman  is  an  associate  of  the  National  Academy,  also  a 
member  of  the  Artists'  I'uiid  anil  American  Water-Color  socie- 
ties, and  the  Paint  and  Cla\-  Cluh  of  this  city.  lie  is  one  of  the; 
few  artists  in  this  country  who  are  in  no  sense  attitudinarians. 


J.  HARX'RY  YOUNG. 


Tin-:  irregularity  of  advance  in  the  arts  of  Boston  is  more 
ostensible  than  actual,  and  the  apparent  sudden  growth  of  art 
throughout  our  land  is  a  result  of  years  of  patient  industrj-,  and 
the  accumulation  of  ideas  slowly  but  carefully  matured.  The 
pioneers  in  American  art  (or  they  may  be  termed  martyrs,  for 
they  suffered  by  their  adherence  to  what  they  believed  to  be 
truth)  were  men  of  sound  minds,  albeit  the  great  commercial 
world  deem  artists  to  be  easily  dispensable  luxuries.  Alexander, 
Geo.  Fuller,  Hoyt,  Pope,  Seth  Cheney,  Staigg,  Ames,  Young, 
and  a  host  of  others,  had  hard  pulling  in  their  earlier  days,  and 
it  is  a  wonder  that  they  survived  their  struggles  at  all.  The 
stories  of  their  privations  have  been  told  over  and  over  again, 
and  are  being  repeated  right  in  our  midst  to-day,  despite  the 
fact  that  art  facilities  are  greater  than  they  were  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago. 

It  is,  therefore,  an  interesting  event  to  talk  over  the  early  art 
of  Boston,  with  such  an  artist  as  Young,  who  has,  since  1844, 

195 


196 


/.  HARVEY  YOUNG. 


been  identified  with  its  varied  and  best  interests.  He  was  born 
in  Salem,  Mass.,  in  1830,  removed  to  Boston  in  1842,  at  four- 
teen entered  John  Pope's  studio,  in  the  old  Tremont  Temple, 
and,  later  on,  put  out  his  own  shingle  as  an  artist.  In  1848, 
he  visited  Salem,  where  he  painted  several  portraits,  and  upon 
his  return,  feeling"  a  desire  to  perfect  himself  in  drawing, 
and  having  made  the  acquaintance  of  an  able  architect,  he 
entered  his  office  as  a  draughtsman,  and  acquired  a  considerable 
and  useful  knowledge  in  the  use  of  the  pencil.  While  thus 
engaged  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  his  color  work,  and,  at  all 
available  moments,  added  to  his  revenues  by  painting  portraits. 
With  the  exception  of  a  brief  interval,  when  he  assisted  his 
father  in  the  management  of  a  hotel  in  New  Hampshire,  he  was 
earnestly  engaged  in  his  studies.  Upon  his  return  from  the 
country,  he  established  himself  in  a  studio,  over  Leonard's 
auction  rooms,  on  Tremont  Street,  and  executed  portraits 
in  oil  for  the  sum  of  five  dollars  each.  The  price  was  low 
enough,  but  the  patronage  was  too  small  for  him  to  get  a  decent 
living  out  of  it,  so  he  resolved  to  give  up  painting,  but  was 
deterred  from  so  doing  by  an  offer  from  John  Pope,  who  induced 
him  to  take  his  studio,  as  he  was  going  to  New  York,  and  try 
his  luck.  Pc  was  a  great  risk  to  do  this,  but  Young  ventured  ; 
and  his  first  commission  amounted  to  eighty  dollars,  including 
the  frame.  This  was  success;  but  he  was  obliged,  however,  to 
spread  his  profits  over  many  days,  and,  once  more  becoming 
disheartened,  was  about  to  give  up.  Chancing,  one  day,  to  wit- 
ness a  parade  of  the  Salem  Cadets,  and  being  struck  with  the 
grand  air  and  martial  appearance  of  Major  Foster,  of  that  com- 
mand, he  resolved  to  paint  the  major,  which  resolve  he  acted 
upon,  and,  soon  after,  reproduced  the  soldier  on  canvas,  and 
exhibited  the  work  in  Child's  picture-frame  store.  This  picture 
started  his  reputation  in  the  right  direction,  and  attracted  to  his 


./.  J/AKii-v  yor.V(7.  197 

studio  Mr.  John  1  )iilf.  who  commissioncil  \  oiinj^j^  to  paint  his  son's 
jjortrait.  The  work  was  a  j,^rcat  success,  and  made  of  Mr.  \  )u(( 
an  earnest  advocate  for  Vounjr;  indeed,  Vounir  never  lias  since 
that  ilate  wanteil  for  employment  in  his  art.  Young's  stu(ho.  at 
this  time,  was  located  in  Mercantile  Library  Huildin*;,  and  he 
there  became  intimate  with  W  in.  M.  Hunt,  who  had  a  studio  in 
the  same  buildinu-.  There  he  remained  until  the  j^n-at  fire  of 
1S72,  when  nearly  all  of  his  earthl\  posses.sions  were  consumed. 


He  did  not  mourn,  thoucrh  he  sincerely  regretted  the  catastrophe, 
and  soon  after  set  up  his  easel  at  No.  i  2  West  Street,  where  he 
is  located  at  the  present  time. 

Young  has  attained  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  jiortrait- 
painter,  and  without  any  training  at  the  academy  or  school.  To 
be  sure,  he  has  been  watchful,  and  a  learner  in  the,  school  of 
obserwation,  and  has  absorbed  whatever  was  g{)od  and  whole- 
some for  his  art.    In  his  early  career  he  had  few  advantages. 


198 


J.  HARVEY  YOUNG. 


The  Boston  Athenseum,  of  which  he  was  at  one  time  art  direc- 
tor, was  the  only  resort  for  pictures  and  statuary,  and,  occasion- 
ally, an  artist  would  drift  into  town  from  Europe.  Then  there 
were  occasional  sales  of  pictures  at  Leonard's  auction  rooms, 
but  there  were  very  few  if  any  portraits  seen  among  them. 
Healy's  portraits  of  General  Jackson,  Winthrop,  and  Clay  were, 
at  the  time,  considered  fine  examples  of  portraiture,  and,  doubt- 
less, stimulated  Young  to  keep  on  and  do  better,  which  he 
certainly  did  in  color ;  in  fact,  all  of  the  old  school  of  portrait- 
painters  believed  in  the  color  sentiment,  and,  if  they  lacked  in 
drawing,  they  certainly  made  their  subjects  agreeable  to  live 
with  as  likenesses  and  color  decoration.  Young's  principles ' 
in  art  have  ever  been  the  poetry  of  subject  and  color.  His 
portrait  of  Wm.  Warren,  the  actor,  painted  in  1867,  is  an  evi- 
dence of  this  remark ;  for  it  retains  to-day  a  full,  rich  tone,  and 
gives  the  geniality  and  true  characteristics  of  the  man  in  every 
aspect.  The  face  is  one  of  the  speaking  kind,  it  is  manly;  and, 
as  we  look  at  it  to-day,  we  feel  a  regret  that  such  a  type  of 
being  should  ever  grow  old.  There  is  great  vigor  in  the  way  in 
which  the  color  is  applied,  and  a  sure  touch  is  evident  in  every 
stroke  of  the  brush.  Then,  too,  the  pose  is  natural,  a  feature 
which  is  always  noticeable  in  Young's  portraits.  Young  felt  his 
subject  when  he  painted  Warren.  He  also  felt  a  sympathy  for 
his  subject  when  he  painted  the  portrait  of  that  lovable  old 
gentleman.  Dr.  Peabody,  which  now  hangs  in  the  Exeter 
Academy.  In  fact,  I  feel  that  Young's  greatest  successes  in  por- 
traiture may  be  found  when  he  paints  good  and  amiable  subjects. 
Temperaments  on  canvas  are  the  same  as  temperaments  in  our 
social  life :  we  love  those  best  which  are  the  most  kindly,  and  it 
is  not  unnatural  that  an  artist  should  be  happiest  when  studying 
a  truly  good  face.  I  have  seen  a  portrait  of  Master  Cyrus 
Brewer  painted  by  Young,  which  gave  the  innocence  and  sweet- 


t 


J.  JIARVEY  YOrXC. 


'99 


ness  of  the  youth  as  tenderly  as  if  a  woman  had  ihawn  it.  i  It- 
has  posed  the  boy  seated  in  a  chair,  with  a  ^reat  picture  l)t)()k  in 
his  laj) ;  he  is  restin*:^  for  a  moment,  antl  looks  up  into  your  face 
with  a  smart,  childlike  t^aze,  which  fascinates  one  at  siifht.  \v>\\ 
feel  actjuainted  with  the  lail,  and  the  artist  has  jjainted  him  as 
an  ac(iuaintance.  His  portraits  of  Horace  Mann,  lulward 
Mveri'tt,  Win.  11.  I'ascott.  Krastus  1  k)pkins.  (iov.  Clallin's 
father,  and  other  well  known  men  ha\e  ailded  to  his  rt'putation, 
tor  in  them  all  are  to  be  seen  those  ([ualities  neetled  in  a  por- 
trait-painter, i.  e.,  sincerity,  affection,  and  a  knowledj^e  of  hiiinan 
nature.  Of  his  portraits  of  women,  that  of  Mrs.  John  1 1.  I  lolmes 
is  one  of  the  best  e.xamples,  and  is  used  in  this  work  as  a  full- 
page  illustration.  One  can  readily  see  the  artist's  force  and 
power  of  portra)  al  in  this  picture.  The  face  need  not  be  seen 
by  those  who  know  the  lady,  in  order  to  recognize  who  she 
may  be.  I  he  llesh  color  is  like  the  life.  i)ure  and  pearly,  and  he 
has  not  lost  one  atom  of  the  individualit)'  of  his  subject.  Little 
need  be  said  of  the  pose  or  composition  or  background;  the 
picture  suggests  these  features.  It  is  a  work  of  art  that  will 
stand  among  the  best  ever  painted  in  Boston. 

The  list  of  Young's  portraits  is  too  long  to  specialize  upon. 
He  has  painted  for  upward  of  forty-four  years,  and  his  works 
may  be  numbered  by  the  hundreds.  Besides  portraits,  he  has 
found  time  to  paint  his  impressions  of  beauty,  and  in  these 
works  may  be  noticed  a  strong  intellectual  feeling  for  ideality 
and  artistic  arrangements  of  draperies.  He  keeps  every  thing  in 
his  pictures  very  simple,  and  the  most  important  part  of  the 
canvas  is  usuall)'  the  most  finished,  though  the  eye  may  roam 
over  any  part  and  find  something  that  will  hold  it.  He  keeps 
up  the  interest  where  the  interest  counts,  and  yet  never  neglects 
to  balance  his  drawing  with  color  weights  or  objects.  As  time 
goes  on,  he  seems  to  grow  more  mellow  in  color,  no  deeper  or 


200 


/.  HARVEY  YOUNG. 


richer  in  tone  than  twenty  years  ago,  but  more  in  quahty  and 
uniformity.  The  pubhc  may  not  understand  this  remark,  simply 
because  they  have  not  had  the  opportunity  to  study  his  works  in 
pubHc,  he  having  studiously  avoided  publicity  ;  but  one  at  all 
familiar  with  the  vigor  of  the  artist's  mind  can  readily  attest  that 
he  is  an  even  painter  and  that  he  is  a  natural  artist.  He  retains 
the  freshness  and  spirit  of  his  youth,  is  aggressive,  that  is,  he 
paints  in  no  timid  way,  and  his  works  stand  the  test  of  familiarity. 
Because  he  has  painted  so  many  years,  it  may  be  said  that  we 
know  what  he  can  do  by  what  he  has  done.  Young  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  a  club  from  which  the  Boston  Art  Club  emerged, 
and  at  one  time  was  its  vice-president.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Paint  and  Clay  Club,  and  is  personally  one  of  the  most  esteemed 
of  Boston's  artists. 


• 


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